Worker Safety and Environmental Protection in Automated Steel Bridge Restoration

The aim of the paper is to review and evaluate current legislation on health and safety and environmental protection in the context of proposed technologies in bridge restoration. Concerning health and safety, the main considerations are a new method of access, the use of robotic manipulators in surface preparation and painting, and the handling of hazardous waste. Containment and the use of recyclable abrasives are the main agencies for environmental protection. The study covers both Europe and the USA where greater progress has been achieved in the legislative provisions. It is intended that the outcomes will contribute to the development of the unification of health and safety and environmental protection provisions within Europe.