A safer blend to protect workers at Midleton Distillery wins prestigious European award

The world-famous distillery is recognised for a pioneering robotics solution focusing on worker safety and health

4th December 2025

Irish Distillers’ Midleton Distillery, a cornerstone of Irish whiskey production, has today (Thursday 4th December) been awarded one of Europe’s most prestigious recognitions for workplace safety: the Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Award 2025 from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

The award recognises the distillery’s pioneering use of artificial intelligence and robotics to significantly reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in its barrel unloading operations.

The award-winning solution centres on a custom-designed autonomous mobile robot (AMR) equipped with an AI vision system. The system now handles the unloading of 60kg whiskey casks from large shipping containers, a task that previously posed substantial injury risks to operators due to heavy lifting, awkward postures and the confined working environment.

“This recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of our team,” 

said Jaime Jordan, General Manager of Midleton Distillery.

“We’re proud to have developed a pioneering robotic solution that puts the safety of our people first, while respecting the craft and tradition at the heart of what we do. This project was a true team effort, both across Irish Distillers and in partnership with Pilz Ireland, and shows the positive impact purposeful innovation can have.”

Mark Cullen, Chief Executive Officer of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), praised the project as a model for other workplaces.

“Midleton Distillery has demonstrated exemplary leadership in workplace safety and health through this innovative solution. It clearly demonstrates how carefully applied technology can reduce risk, while ensuring workers remain engaged and central to the process. It’s a best-practice example of how industry can tackle complex safety challenges while prioritising worker safety.”

William Cockburn, Executive Director of EU-OSHA, said,

“I warmly congratulate Midleton Distillery on this well-deserved award. Midleton Distillery’s achievement is an outstanding example of how digital innovation can be used to protect workers.  Their AI-enabled robotics solution shows that when technology is designed with workers at the centre, it can eliminate risks and transform demanding tasks into safer, healthier work. This is exactly the kind of forward-looking leadership our Good Practice Awards are designed to recognise.”

Developed in close collaboration with automation experts at Pilz Ireland and with full involvement of the distillery’s health and safety, engineering, and operations teams - including the very operators who would use the system - the robotic solution was conceived, built, tested, and deployed over a three-year period and has delivered a 100% reduction in manual handling incidents related to barrel unloading.

Mark Cullen added,

“Too often, workplace health and safety is seen as a regulatory burden or cost overhead. Midleton Distillery has clearly demonstrated that it is in fact a strategic investment. By proactively addressing safety risks, they’ve not only protected their workforce but have also achieved tangible gains in efficiency. It’s a powerful reminder that safe workplaces are productive workplaces.”