Differences between Industry 4.0 and 5.0
The former is associated with connected sensors, automation, data analysis and systems that exchange information. The European Commission presents Industry 5.0 as a vision that extends the goals of efficiency and productivity to include human wellbeing and capabilities, sustainability and the ability to respond to disruption.
They are not two levels of preventive certification or a mandatory sequence for purchasing equipment. An organisation may use advanced technologies while retaining basic safety problems. The relevant question is what changes for the people working there: exposure, autonomy, workload, skills and the ability to intervene when something does not work as expected.
Preventive opportunities from digitalisation
Automation can remove people from certain dangerous or repetitive tasks. Data can help detect deviations, prepare maintenance and share information needed for decisions. Good design can make instructions easier to access and reduce administrative tasks without preventive value.
Those opportunities must be expressed as a problem and a verifiable outcome. For example, reducing entries into a hazardous area requires checking which interventions remain necessary, who performs them and under what conditions. Transferring exposure to maintenance staff or a contractor does not mean eliminating it.
New risks and risks that change form
EU-OSHA identifies challenges associated with interaction between people and automated systems, overreliance, and organisational and psychosocial factors. Collisions, interpretation errors, intensive surveillance or pressure from digitally determined work rates may arise.
Also review non-routine tasks: cleaning, jams, adjustments, sensor failures and recovery after an interruption. Safe conditions during normal production do not demonstrate safety during those phases. Assess how equipment status is communicated, which skills are needed and which safeguards remain available when the operating mode changes.
What a human-centred approach means
It means considering the capabilities, needs and knowledge of the people who will use the system from its selection and design onwards. This includes accessibility, understandable interfaces, training, participation and a clear allocation of responsibilities between automation and people.
It does not mean expecting workers to compensate continually for equipment limitations. Define what they can decide, what information they receive, when they should request support and how discrepancies are resolved. Under the Spanish framework, integrating prevention and consultation on changes affecting safety and health must form part of the project, rather than being left until after purchase.
How to assess a project before expanding it
Start from a baseline and set criteria for safety, health and operation. Combine exposure data with task observation and user experience. A pilot should include representative situations and limits of use, as well as ideal conditions.
- Check which risk is reduced and which risks remain.
- Review changes in physical and mental workload and organisation.
- Define conditions for stopping, recovery and maintenance.
- Assign responsibility for reviewing incidents and modifications.
Document decisions and results. Continuous improvement requires reviewing the system when work, people or technical dependencies change.
Hypothetical example: automating a repetitive task
A plant introduces an automatic parts-feeding system to reduce repetitive handling. The initial analysis identifies an ergonomic opportunity, but trials reveal that jams require frequent intervention and that status messages are confusing.
Before expanding the project, the feeding design, intervention conditions and operator information are reviewed. Production, maintenance and prevention teams take part. The final decision considers exposure and the ability to operate safely, as well as units produced. This specific assessment gives industrial transformation meaningful preventive content.
