Risk-reduction through design awards

**Nominations for the 2025 awards closed on 31 January 2025. **

The awards aim to inspire employers to think about how changes to work can reduce the risks of harm to their workers. It’s open to all UK employers and is sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF).

There are two categories:

Best Overall
Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Award.

We can only accept nominations from employers of the workers who benefit from the design changes. We cannot consider submissions from marketing firms, consultants, or designers.

Awards explained

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include injuries and conditions that can affect the back, joints and limbs.

The Risk-reduction Through Design Awards celebrate companies that have made a change in the workplace to significantly reduce musculoskeletal risk for their employees.

Winning the award will:

Recognition
Recognise your team’s efforts in reducing risks
Support other businesses
Help other businesses prevent musculoskeletal risks to their workers
HSE will share your story
Highlight your story to industry to showcase innovation and good practice

Your nomination should include:

A detailed description of the task or activity and workplace before you made the change
A description after you made the design change
What the impact of the design change is? How has MSD risk been reduced for your workers and how many workers are affected?
If you designed the solution in-house. Or if someone else helped you, tell us who helped
How you involved your workers in the process and a quote demonstrating what your workers think about the design change
Clear photographs showing how your workers carried out the activity before (if possible) and after the changes

Closing date for nominations

Closing date for nominations is 31 January 2025. Further details can be found on the HSE website.

For any questions about submitting your nomination please contact msdpp@hse.gov.uk.

Previous Winners

Below are the previous winners of MSD Risk-reduction Through Design Awards.

Click the company logo to view their case study:

2025

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2024 Winner – Best Overall:

2024 Winner – SME recognition award:

2024
2023

2023 Winner:

2023 Commended:
2022 Winner:

2022 Commended:

2022 Commended:

2022
2021

2021 Winner:

2021 Commended:

2021 Commended: