The SR-3

SQUARE ROBOT WINS 2026 NIOSH PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN AWARD

SR-3 submersible tank inspection robot and Side Launcher deployment system recognized for eliminating confined space entry rather than merely controlling it

BOSTON, MA, September 16, 2026 — Square Robot, Inc., the global leader in submersible robotic above-ground storage tank inspection, has won the 2026 NIOSH Prevention through Design (PtD) Award for its SR-3 submersible inspection robot and Side Launcher deployment system. The award was presented at the National Safety Council (NSC) Safety Congress & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The PtD Award is jointly administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), and the National Safety Council (NSC). Each of the four partner organizations independently reviewed and scored every nomination submitted for the award, and Square Robot's nomination scored highest among this year's entries.

The award recognizes work that follows the hierarchy of controls by eliminating a hazard through design rather than managing it through procedures or protective equipment. Square Robot's SR-3 and Side Launcher were recognized on exactly that basis: rather than making confined space entry into a storage tank safer, the system is designed so that entry is never required in the first place. The submersible SR-3 robot inspects tanks on-stream, without shutdown, product removal, or tank cleaning, while the Side Launcher safely deploys and retrieves the robot through a floating roof tank's shell manway. Both the SR-3 and the Side Launcher have since been independently certified by FM Approvals for use in hazardous locations (Class I Division 2 and Class I Division 1, respectively).

"When we designed SR-3, the goal was not to make confined space entry safer. The goal was to eliminate the need for it,” said Amy Underwood, Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Square Robot. "If a robot can perform the inspection, we can remove people from those hazards altogether. That principle guided the design of SR-3 from the beginning, and it’s what makes this recognition especially meaningful to us."

Established in 2021, the NIOSH PtD Award has recognized individuals, companies, and public agencies for eliminating or reducing workplace hazards through design, and has drawn honorable mentions from some of the world's largest employers: Amazon.com, Inc. received an honorable mention in 2024 for a robotic pallet system that eliminated ergonomic strain across more than a billion product totes, and Tesla, Inc. received an honorable mention in 2022 for its “Supertub” design, which the company credited with a 95% reduction in recordable injury cases. Past winners include Jacobs Solutions, Inc. (2024), credited with preventing an estimated 1.7 million hours of high-risk work, and the Port of Portland (2023), for prevention-through-design work on its PDX airport expansion. Square Robot's win places it among this small group of organizations recognized for engineering hazards out of the workplace entirely.

Square Robot’s Amy Underwood accepted the award at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Indianapolis on September 15, 2026.

About Square Robot, Inc.

Square Robot, Inc. is a global robotics technology company specialising in submersible robotic inspections of above-ground storage tanks. With a mission to keep tanks online, eliminate confined space entry, contain the release of emissions, and increase operational efficiency while delivering high-fidelity data, Square Robot deploys its robotic fleet and best-in-industry team to deliver storage tank inspections across the globe.

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Media Contact:

Jazmyn Stevens | jstevens@squarerobot.com