Will AI replace Waste disposal and environmental services managers?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 126 official task statements scored for Waste disposal and environmental services managers (United Kingdom, SOC 1254), 30% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 45 out of 100 (range 39–51, band: partial). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

What should someone working in “Waste disposal and environmental services managers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 30% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 43% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Waste disposal and environmental services managers calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 126 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

UK dataswitch to US

Waste disposal and environmental services managers

monitoring and logging sewage flow into the wastewater treatment works, managing spill prevention and coordinating with contractors to ensure project specifications are met. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI is already taking a real slice of the routine work here: compiling statistical data and generating detailed reports. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 30%
changing shape: 27%
staying human: 43%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 45 out of 100 (39–51 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, across 126 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for waste disposal and environmental services managers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, initiating new local recycling schemes, stays yours. The tools change hands, the accountability doesn't.

Your week, as this page understands it

Waste disposal and environmental services managers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the operations and development of waste disposal and related environmental services facilities within private firms or public authorities. The job title says “waste disposal” or “environmental services managers”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: initiating new local recycling schemes. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But waste disposal and environmental services managers is not one task. It is 126 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is initiating new local recycling schemes, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 30%
changing shape: 27%
staying human: 43%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

57 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

40 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Responding to customer enquiries
This is reading one thing and writing another: customer enquiries in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Respond to customer enquiries.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 79 out of 100 (75–83 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Answering customer questions from known information is something software already does at speed and scale.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Collecting data on local waste
This is reading one thing and writing another: data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Collect data on local waste, recycling, and reuse tonnage.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Tonnage figures come from weighbridges and contractor returns, so gathering them is mostly a data exercise.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assessing worker requirements for scrap yard operations
This is reading one thing and writing another: worker requirements in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1254/03
Source: “Assess worker requirements for scrap yard operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out how many staff are needed is a planning calculation from throughput and rota data that software does well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Analysing environmental data
This is reading one thing and writing another: environmental data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1254/01
Source: “Analyse environmental data.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (62–70 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Environmental data analysis is documented, repeatable desk work, and the results usually feed a report someone else signs off.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

32 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Recommending personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers and dismissals
The software now makes the first pass at personnel actions, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/03, 1254/04
Source: “Recommend personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, and dismissals.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 40 out of 100 (33–47 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Recommending promotions or dismissals uses records software can summarise, but the judgement about a person stays with the manager.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recommending improving production methods or implementing motivational plans
The software now makes the first pass at production methods, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 65 · 1254/03, 1254/04
Source: “Recommend improving production methods or implementing motivational plans.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 57 out of 100 (50–64 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Drafting proposals to improve how work is done is writing software handles well; getting them adopted is another matter.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Monitoring and logging sewage flow into the wastewater treatment works
The software now makes the first pass at sewage flow, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 90 · 1254/04
Source: “Monitor and log sewage flow into the wastewater treatment works according to criteria such as DWF and FFT.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Flow readings come from meters and are logged automatically, though operators still check the instruments are reading correctly on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

54 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Initiating new local recycling schemes
The value here is that a specific person handles new local recycling schemes and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 75 · 1254/01, 1254/02
Source: “Initiate new local recycling schemes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 26 out of 100 (19–33 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Starting a new scheme depends on local relationships, site decisions and persuading people to take part.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Conducting water quality monitoring or sampling to ensure compliance with standards
This work happens in the physical world: water quality, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 90 · 1254/04
Source: “Conduct water quality monitoring or sampling to ensure compliance with standards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Water sampling and on-site monitoring need a person at the location, so software mainly helps with the numbers afterwards.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Supervising workers in scrap yard operations
This work happens in the physical world: workers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 90 · 1254/03
Source: “Supervise workers in scrap yard operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 4 out of 100 (0–8 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Watching over a working scrap yard means being present to spot hazards and direct people as the day unfolds.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

Show the other 116 tasks

Recording test data in technical reports for equipment performance analysis
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: test data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Record test data in technical reports for equipment performance analysis.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Turning test readings into a technical report is structured writing and number work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Compiling reports, charts or graphs that describe and interpret findings of analyses
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: reports, charts or graphs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/01
Source: “Compile reports, charts, or graphs that describe and interpret findings of analyses.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Building charts and write-ups from analysis results is largely automated already.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining employee records to ensure efficient management of site operations
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: employee records in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Maintain employee records to ensure efficient management of site operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Employee records are structured data, and keeping them accurate is well within what software does.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Compiling statistical data and generating detailed reports
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: statistical data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Compile statistical data and generate detailed reports.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Pulling figures together into a clear report is one of the strongest things current software and AI do.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording personnel, production and operational data on specified forms
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: personnel, production and operational data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/03
Source: “Record personnel, production, and operational data on specified forms.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recording production and staffing figures on standard forms is routine data entry.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Ordering or requisitioning materials or supplies for specific projects or tasks
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: materials in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/03
Source: “Order or requisition materials or supplies for specific projects or tasks.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Raising requisitions for materials is routine purchasing paperwork.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining operations data, including production records, to monitor efficiency and output
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: operations data, including production records in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/04
Source: “Maintain operations data, including production records, to monitor efficiency and output.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping production records up to date is data entry that factory systems already automate.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining records of work hours to manage staffing
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: records of work hours in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Maintain records of work hours to manage staffing.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recording hours worked is straightforward data entry that time-and-attendance software already does end to end.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Calculating equipment operating factors using standard formulae and conversion tables
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: equipment operating factors in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 1254/04
Source: “Calculate equipment operating factors using standard formulae and conversion tables.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Standard formulae and conversion tables are published, so this is arithmetic software does at or above the usual standard.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Preparing detailed production reports
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: detailed production reports in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 1254/04
Source: “Prepare detailed production reports for research, manufacturing and assembly processes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Detailed production reports are assembled from recorded data, which software does quickly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Calculating amount of pollutant in samples using chemical formulas
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: amount of pollutant in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Calculate amount of pollutant in samples using chemical formulas.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 88 out of 100 (84–92 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out pollutant amounts from sample readings is arithmetic with fixed formulas, which computers have done accurately for decades.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Computing air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes with mathematical formulas
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: air pollution in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Compute air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes with mathematical formulas.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 88 out of 100 (84–92 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: These are standard engineering calculations with published formulas, so a computer produces the numbers faster and more consistently than by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Distributing closure and cleanup plans for projects
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: closure in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/01
Source: “Distribute closure and cleanup plans for projects.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Sending out finished plans to the right people is document handling that office software and AI already do reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Distributing permits related to specific activities or projects
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: permits in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Distribute permits related to specific activities or projects.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Issuing and circulating permit paperwork is routine document handling that an automated system can manage from start to finish.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining files of chemical usage data for landfill management
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: files of chemical usage data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 1254/01
Source: “Maintain files of chemical usage data for landfill management.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping usage records is data entry and filing, which software handles automatically once deliveries and doses are logged.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Preparing bills of lading for recycling or hazardous material services
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: bills in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Prepare bills of lading for recycling or hazardous material services.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Filling in waste transfer and shipping paperwork follows a fixed published format, so software can complete it from the job details.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Logging records of recycled materials or waste chemicals removed from products
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: records of recycled materials in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Log records of recycled materials or waste chemicals removed from products.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Waste records follow a fixed format from data already captured, so software can produce and keep them accurately.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Allocating vehicles and drivers for tasks based on efficiency and availability
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: vehicles in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Allocate vehicles and drivers for tasks based on efficiency and availability.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 79 out of 100 (72–86 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Matching vehicles and drivers to jobs is a scheduling problem that software already solves quickly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating recycling collection schedules to optimise service and efficiency
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: collection schedules in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Coordinate recycling collection schedules to optimise service and efficiency.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 79 out of 100 (72–86 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Collection scheduling is route optimisation, an area where software has been stronger than manual planning for years.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assigning truck drivers or recycling technicians to routes
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: truck drivers in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Assign truck drivers or recycling technicians to routes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 79 out of 100 (72–86 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Putting drivers on rounds is a rota and routing calculation that planning software handles well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Planning and establishing schedules to meet operational goals
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: schedules in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Plan and establish schedules to meet operational goals.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 79 out of 100 (75–83 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Building schedules that hit operational targets is a well-defined planning task software does quickly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring and reporting on project progress and issues
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: project progress in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Monitor and report on project progress and issues.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Progress reporting is drawn from data already held and is straightforward to draft automatically.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Creating recycling operations budgets
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: operations budgets in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Create recycling operations budgets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Budgets are built from past figures and planned activity, which software drafts well, though priorities are a human call.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Investigating new opportunities for materials
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: new opportunities in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Investigate new opportunities for materials to be recycled.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Researching what else could be recycled is desk research, though local reprocessor options need direct contact.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Estimating the quantity and type of materials
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: the quantity in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 1254/03
Source: “Estimate the quantity and type of materials needed.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Material estimates come from documented specifications and standard rates, so software produces them quickly and accurately.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Ordering materials and supplies, such as tools, equipment or replacement parts
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: materials in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/04
Source: “Order materials and supplies, such as tools, equipment, or replacement parts.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Ordering parts and supplies is routine purchasing that ordering systems already largely handle.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing work schedules based on budgets and workloads
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: work schedules in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 1254/04
Source: “Develop work schedules based on budgets and workloads.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Building rotas from budgets and workload is a calculation software does quickly and consistently.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Evaluating current production estimates and outputs based on records and reports
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: current production estimates in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 1254/04
Source: “Evaluate current production estimates and outputs based on records and reports.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading output figures against records and reports is analysis work drawn straight from existing data.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reporting identified faults
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: identified faults in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Report identified faults.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (62–76 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing up and passing on a fault report is quick document work, though someone must first notice the fault.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Analysing work orders and processing charts to identify operation specifications and sequences
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: work orders in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Analyse work orders and processing charts to identify operation specifications and sequences.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 68 out of 100 (61–75 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading work orders and charts to pull out specifications is document work, though the detail is site-specific.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Developing testing procedures to monitor site safety
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: procedures in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Develop testing procedures to monitor site safety.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (59–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Safety testing procedures follow well-documented regulations, so AI can draft them, though a site manager must adapt them to the actual site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Determining amounts and types of chemicals to use in destroying harmful organisms or removing impurities from purification systems
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: amounts in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 1254/01
Source: “Determine amounts and types of chemicals to use in destroying harmful organisms or removing impurities from purification systems.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (59–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Choosing dose rates follows published tables and water-quality readings, though an operator confirms it suits the actual system that day.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reporting and escalating these incidents in accordance with relevant procedures and standards
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: these incidents in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Report and escalate these incidents in accordance with relevant procedures and standards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (62–70 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Incident reports and escalation follow set procedures from information already captured, so software drafts and routes them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing community or corporate recycling plans to minimise waste and conform to resource constraints
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: community in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Develop community or corporate recycling plans to minimise waste and conform to resource constraints.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing a recycling plan that fits stated targets and budgets is document work built on well-known models.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing appropriate waste management solutions based on community needs
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: appropriate waste management solutions in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Provide appropriate waste management solutions based on community needs.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recommending a waste solution for a given area is analysis and write-up using well-documented options.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing and promoting initiatives through advertising and publicity campaigns
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: initiatives in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Manage and promote initiatives through advertising and publicity campaigns.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Campaign copy and planning are content tasks software produces quickly and well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Writing grant applications to secure funding for sustainability projects
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at grant applications, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Write grant applications to secure funding for sustainability projects.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 58 out of 100 (51–65 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Drafts come easily, but a winning bid needs tailoring to a funder's history and local evidence.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Writing funding bids to secure financial support
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at bids, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Write funding bids to secure financial support.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 58 out of 100 (51–65 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: AI produces a solid first draft, though a bid that wins needs tailoring to the funder by someone who knows them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Staying informed and complying with current recycling legislation
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at informed, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Stay informed and comply with current recycling legislation.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 57 out of 100 (50–64 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Legislation is published and easy to track, but actually complying means changing how the site operates.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Recommending steps to mitigate negative environmental impacts
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at steps, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/01
Source: “Recommend steps to mitigate negative environmental impacts.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Standard mitigation measures are well documented, so AI can suggest them, but a person judges what suits this particular site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing contracts with external waste service providers to ensure service quality
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at contracts, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Manage contracts with external waste service providers to ensure service quality.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Contract management with waste suppliers is document and data work, with occasional conversations that need the manager personally.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing budgets for projects to optimise recycling operations and cost efficiency
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at budgets, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Manage budgets for projects to optimise recycling operations and cost efficiency.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Budget tracking and cost analysis are spreadsheet work AI does well, but a manager still decides what to cut or fund.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing performance of in-service products/systems
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at performance, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Review performance of in-service products/systems, assess the cause of any faults or problems, and propose ways to fix them.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reviewing in-service performance and proposing fixes is largely analysis of fault and usage data.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assessing tenders related to projects to select waste management solutions
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at tenders, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Assess tenders related to projects to select waste management solutions.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Comparing bids against set criteria is exactly the kind of structured analysis AI handles, though the final choice stays with people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Working to 'best practice' schemes and guidelines to maximise resources and reducing costs
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at 'best practice' schemes, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Work to 'best practice' schemes and guidelines to maximise resources and reduce costs.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Applying published best-practice guidance is mostly desk work, with some checking of how things run on the ground.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Using process control equipment, such as SCADA, to monitor water processes and identify issues and trends
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at process control equipment, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Use process control equipment, such as SCADA, to monitor water processes and identify issues and trends.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Spotting trends and faults in streams of process data is something software already does better than watching screens.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating shipments of recycling materials with shipping brokers or processing companies
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at shipments of recycling materials, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Coordinate shipments of recycling materials with shipping brokers or processing companies.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 53 out of 100 (46–60 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Arranging shipments is routine coordination, but prices and slots are often settled by talking to brokers.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining diagrams of equipment locations at landfill sites
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at diagrams of equipment locations, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/01
Source: “Maintain diagrams of equipment locations at landfill sites.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 51 out of 100 (44–58 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping site diagrams up to date is drawing work, but someone has to walk the site to know what actually moved.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Analysing potential environmental impacts of production process changes
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at potential environmental impacts of production process changes, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Analyse potential environmental impacts of production process changes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 50 out of 100 (43–57 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Impact analysis of process changes is documented desk work using data the site already holds.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Identifying and recommending specific safety measures against hazardous work methods and materials
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at specific safety measures against hazardous work methods, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Identify and recommend specific safety measures against hazardous work methods and materials.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recommending safety measures draws on published guidance, so software drafts them; confirming the hazard usually means seeing the work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining inventories of hazardous materials or wastes
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at inventories of hazardous materials, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Maintain inventories of hazardous materials or wastes, ensuring proper handling with waste tracking systems.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Hazardous waste inventories run on tracking systems, so software keeps them accurate; the physical handling belongs to the operators.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Analysing test results to ensure conformity to specifications using mechanical or electrical devices
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at test results, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/01
Source: “Analyse test results to ensure conformity to specifications using mechanical or electrical devices.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Test results are compared against specifications using documented rules, which software does quickly once the readings exist.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Investigating complaints about service
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at complaints, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Investigate complaints about service.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Case notes and records can be pulled together automatically, but working out what went wrong needs judgement.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Increasing uptake of local recycling and collection services
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at uptake of local, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Increase uptake of local recycling and collection services.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Campaign material is easy to draft, but shifting what households actually do is slower and less predictable.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring control systems and responding to balance water production with network demand
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at control systems, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Monitor control systems and respond to balance water production with network demand.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Balancing output against demand is pattern-matching on live meter data, though someone must act physically when a pump needs attention.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Optimising wastewater treatment service to minimise energy and chemical usage and increase sludge dry solids
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at wastewater treatment service, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Optimise wastewater treatment service to minimise energy and chemical usage and increase sludge dry solids.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Finding the best chemical and energy settings is a data problem AI is good at, but changes must be trialled on the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assigning employee training to experienced workers to facilitate learning
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at employee, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/04
Source: “Assign employee training to experienced workers to facilitate learning.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Matching training to experienced staff is scheduling work that systems already do.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Explaining company policies and procedures to workers
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at company policies, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Explain company policies and procedures to workers.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Turning company policy into a clear explanation is writing work, though the briefing usually happens in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Offering guidance on environmental protection to stakeholders
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at guidance, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 65 · 1254/01
Source: “Offer guidance on environmental protection to stakeholders.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 46 out of 100 (39–53 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: The guidance content is well documented, but persuading site staff and neighbours to act on it needs a person they trust.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Communicating with internal and external customers
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at internal and external customers, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Communicate with internal and external customers, including contractors and regulators.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 46 out of 100 (39–53 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Routine emails and reports to contractors and regulators can be drafted automatically, but difficult conversations still need a person handling them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing advice on public health to stakeholders
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at advice, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Provide advice on public health to stakeholders.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: A waste manager giving public health advice is not speaking as a registered health professional, so the limit is judgement, not law.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating repairs for malfunctioning equipment or machinery
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at repairs, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 75 · 1254/03
Source: “Coordinate repairs for malfunctioning equipment or machinery.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Arranging a repair is phone and paperwork, though someone usually has to see the fault first.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Analysing worker or production problems to recommend solutions
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at worker, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/03
Source: “Analyse worker or production problems to recommend solutions.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out why a job is slipping and writing up options is analysis software does well, given the site facts.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Setting quality standards for water treatment processes to ensure safety
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at quality standards, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Set quality standards for water treatment processes to ensure safety.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Standards can be drafted from existing regulations, but signing off what counts as safe drinking water rests with a responsible person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Evaluating staff performance
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at staff performance, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Evaluate staff performance.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 40 out of 100 (33–47 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Performance data can be summarised automatically, but appraising someone's work is a conversation between people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Advising local community groups on recycling and waste reduction
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles local community groups and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Advise local community groups on recycling and waste reduction.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 39 out of 100 (32–46 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: The recycling advice itself is well documented, but it is usually given face to face at community meetings.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Making presentations to educate the public on how to recycle
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles presentations and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Make presentations to educate the public on how to recycle.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 39 out of 100 (32–46 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: The slides and script are easy to produce, but the talk is given in person to a live audience.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing environmental protection projects to ensure compliance and effectiveness
staying human
The ratings behind this row put environmental protection projects well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 85 · 1254/01
Source: “Manage environmental protection projects to ensure compliance and effectiveness.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Environmental project management is largely planning and records, though keeping the work compliant means being on site regularly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating waste disposal and recycling processes
staying human
The ratings behind this row put waste disposal well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Coordinate waste disposal and recycling processes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Coordinating collections and processing is planning work software supports, but the operation itself happens in vehicles and at sites.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Overseeing recycling collection or drop-off schemes for compliance with community regulations
staying human
The ratings behind this row put collection well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Oversee recycling collection or drop-off schemes for compliance with community regulations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recycling schemes are run against written rules, but overseeing collections means dealing with crews, sites and residents.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring the quality of waste services to ensure compliance with environmental standards
staying human
The ratings behind this row put the quality of waste services well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 75 · 1254/02
Source: “Monitor the quality of waste services to ensure compliance with environmental standards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Service quality against environmental standards is measured from records software can check, though someone still visits the sites.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Planning new products and production processes to improve water treatment efficiency
staying human
The ratings behind this row put new products well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Plan new products and production processes to improve water treatment efficiency.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: AI can propose process improvements from published research, but proving they work at a real works takes engineering trials.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing and monitoring existing schemes
staying human
The ratings behind this row put schemes well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Manage and monitor existing schemes, collection services, and facilities.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 37 out of 100 (30–44 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reports and dashboards help, but running live collection services still means dealing with sites and crews.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Ensuring work aligns with project plans
staying human
The ratings behind this row put work aligns well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 60 · 1254/03
Source: “Ensure work aligns with project plans.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 37 out of 100 (30–44 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Checking that work matches the plan needs someone looking at the operation, though the plans themselves are documents.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assigning work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles work and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 80 · 1254/03
Source: “Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 35 out of 100 (28–42 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Matching jobs to available people and materials is planning, though the crew takes the assignment from their supervisor.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Managing spill prevention, hazardous waste management and solid waste recycling programmes
staying human
The ratings behind this row put spill prevention well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Manage spill prevention, hazardous waste management, and solid waste recycling programmes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 32 out of 100 (25–39 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Software can plan and track these programmes, but running them means being on site making judgement calls when things go wrong.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating activities between departments and sites to ensure organisational coherence and efficiency
staying human
The ratings behind this row put activities well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Coordinate activities between departments and sites to ensure organisational coherence and efficiency.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 32 out of 100 (25–39 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Software can track and schedule work across sites, but pulling separate departments into line still needs a person with authority.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Coordinating with contractors to ensure project specifications are met
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles contractors and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Coordinate with contractors to ensure project specifications are met.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 30 out of 100 (23–37 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Keeping contractors to specification depends on site checks and direct conversations when things slip.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring land pollution levels
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: land pollution levels, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Monitor land pollution levels.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 25 out of 100 (18–32 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Reading the monitoring data is desk work, but taking soil and ground samples means someone physically visiting the land.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Responding to process alarms generated via telemetry to identify the issue remotely or on-site
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: process alarms generated via telemetry, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/04
Source: “Respond to process alarms generated via telemetry to identify the issue remotely or on-site.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 25 out of 100 (18–32 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Alarms can often be diagnosed remotely from the data, but roughly half the time someone has to drive out and look.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring trends and responding with remedial action
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: trends, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Monitor trends and respond with remedial action.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 25 out of 100 (18–32 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Spotting the trend is data work, but the remedial action usually means adjusting something physically at the site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Executing grant-funded projects as per the guidelines
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: grant-funded projects, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Execute grant-funded projects as per the guidelines.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 24 out of 100 (17–31 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Grant paperwork is straightforward, but actually delivering the project happens on the ground.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring work and gauges to ensure operators adhere to production standards
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Monitor work and gauges to ensure operators adhere to production standards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 24 out of 100 (17–31 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Gauge data can be watched remotely, but making sure operators follow standards involves being there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Collecting and analysing pollution samples
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: pollution samples, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1254/01
Source: “Collect and analyse pollution samples, such as air or groundwater.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 22 out of 100 (15–29 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Taking air or groundwater samples needs someone in the field, though the analysis afterwards is well-documented desk work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Monitoring emission control devices to ensure they are operating properly and comply with state and national regulations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: emission control devices, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 1254/01
Source: “Monitor emission control devices to ensure they are operating properly and comply with state and national regulations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 22 out of 100 (15–29 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Emission monitoring needs someone at the plant, and permitted sites expect a technically competent person overseeing it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Investigating breaches of environmental policies
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: breaches of environmental policies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1254/02
Source: “Investigate breaches of environmental policies including natural resources, waste management, and recycling.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 22 out of 100 (15–29 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Investigating breaches means visiting sites and questioning people, though the analysis and report are desk work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Recruiting and training community volunteers
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles community volunteers and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Recruit and train community volunteers.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Recruitment adverts and training packs can be drafted automatically, but getting volunteers to show up and stay depends on personal relationships.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Resolving or escalating issues as they arise
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: issues, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 1254/04
Source: “Resolve or escalate issues as they arise.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Software can suggest next steps, but sorting problems out usually means being on the plant floor.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Addressing worker complaints by conferring with management or subordinates
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles worker complaints and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Address worker complaints by conferring with management or subordinates.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Handling a complaint properly depends on the worker trusting the person they are talking to.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Conducting training sessions on operations and safety for employees
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: sessions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 1254/04
Source: “Conduct training sessions on operations and safety for employees.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Course material is easy for software to produce, but running a safety session in front of staff needs a person in the room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating activities of inspectors, machine setters and fabricators
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: activities of inspectors, machine setters and fabricators, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 1254/04
Source: “Coordinate activities of inspectors, machine setters, and fabricators.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Coordinating people across the shop floor depends on being there as things change.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Resolving problems by speaking with customers
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles problems and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 60 · 1254/03
Source: “Resolve problems by speaking with customers, supervisors, contractors, or other personnel.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 17 out of 100 (10–24 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Sorting out problems by talking to customers, contractors and staff depends on live conversation and trust between people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Monitoring and enforcing compliance with safety rules and regulations in a workplace
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: compliance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/04
Source: “Monitor and enforce compliance with safety rules and regulations in a workplace.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 15 out of 100 (8–22 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Safety rules are written down, but enforcing them at a waste site means being present and stopping unsafe work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Training employees in equipment operations to maintain water treatment standards
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: employees, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 1254/04
Source: “Train employees in equipment operations to maintain water treatment standards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 15 out of 100 (8–22 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Training materials write themselves easily, but showing someone how to work the plant means standing beside them at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Inspecting materials to identify and assess contamination levels
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1254/01
Source: “Inspect materials to identify and assess contamination levels.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Judging contamination means being at the material and looking at it, though the write-up is simple.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Managing preparation and storage of sludge in treatment facilities
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: preparation, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Manage preparation and storage of sludge in treatment facilities.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 12 out of 100 (5–19 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Sludge handling is a permitted site operation needing a technically competent manager on the ground, not a desk decision.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Observing operations to ensure that specifications are met
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: operations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/03
Source: “Observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Watching an operation to check it meets specification means being there while it runs.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Inspecting sanitary conditions at public facilities for health compliance
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: sanitary conditions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Inspect sanitary conditions at public facilities for health compliance.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (5–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Sanitary inspections happen at the facility, so software can prepare the checks but not carry them out.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Calibrating testing instruments
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: instruments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 1254/01
Source: “Calibrate testing instruments.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Instruments are calibrated by hand against reference standards, so someone has to be at the bench.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Rectifying defects or reporting the issue to appropriate colleagues
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: defects, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Rectify defects or report the issue to appropriate colleagues.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 7 out of 100 (0–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Reporting a defect is easy to automate, but putting it right means working on the product.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Operating filtration processes for clean water treatment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: filtration processes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/04
Source: “Operate filtration processes for clean water treatment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (0–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Much of filtration runs automatically, but operating it still means being at the works to switch, backwash and check filters.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Supervising chemical deliveries to ensure compliance with safety protocols
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: chemical deliveries, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/04
Source: “Supervise chemical deliveries to ensure compliance with safety protocols.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (2–10 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking a chemical delivery safely means standing at the tanker watching the transfer, not reading about it afterwards.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Supervising community service workers involved in recycling operations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: community service workers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/02
Source: “Supervise community service workers involved in recycling operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 5 out of 100 (1–9 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Supervising people doing physical recycling work means being on site with them, which software cannot do.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Collecting samples of hazardous materials
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: samples of hazardous materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/01
Source: “Collect samples of hazardous materials.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Hazardous samples are collected by hand at the source with the right equipment and protection, so someone must be there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Weighing or measuring collected sample particles to determine concentration of pollutants
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: collected sample particles, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/01
Source: “Weigh or measure collected sample particles to determine concentration of pollutants.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Weighing and measuring sample particles is laboratory bench work done by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Unloading waste at designated facilities following environmental safety protocols
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: waste, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 1254/01
Source: “Unload waste at designated facilities following environmental safety protocols.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Waste is unloaded by hand and machine at the facility, so this has to be done by someone there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Operating balers in recycling processing to process materials
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: balers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1254/02
Source: “Operate balers in recycling processing to process materials.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running a baler means standing at the machine feeding it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Operating forklifts to move or store recyclable materials
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: forklifts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 1254/02
Source: “Operate forklifts to move or store recyclable materials.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Driving a forklift around a yard is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Driving lorries to collect or deliver recycled metal
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: lorries, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 1254/02
Source: “Drive lorries to collect or deliver recycled metal.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Driving a lorry to collect scrap means physically being at the wheel, which no office software can do.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Operating sewage treatment equipment to process and purify wastewater
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: sewage treatment equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 90 · 1254/04
Source: “Operate sewage treatment equipment to process and purify wastewater.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running the treatment plant means opening valves and handling equipment on site, which is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Taking and recording samples, including carrying out final effluent tests
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: samples, including carrying out final effluent tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 90 · 1254/04
Source: “Take and record samples, including carrying out final effluent tests.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Collecting effluent samples and testing them means hands on bottles and instruments at the works.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Applying hygiene procedures to water infrastructure in accordance with national water hygiene regulations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: hygiene procedures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Apply hygiene procedures to water infrastructure in accordance with national water hygiene regulations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Applying hygiene procedures to pipes and tanks is physical work done on the infrastructure itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Carrying out first line routine maintenance and testing of process and plant equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: first line routine maintenance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1254/04
Source: “Carry out first line routine maintenance and testing of process and plant equipment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Routine maintenance and testing of plant needs hands and tools on the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Carrying out brushing down, greasing and de-ragging on assets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: brushing down, greasing, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/04
Source: “Carry out brushing down, greasing, and de-ragging on assets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Greasing bearings and clearing rags from pumps is hands-on maintenance at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Conducting visual checks
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: visual checks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 1254/04
Source: “Conduct visual checks for security, safety, and housekeeping at treatment works sites.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: A visual site check means walking the works and looking at what is actually there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Decontaminating field equipment used to clean pollutants from soil
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: field equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 1254/04
Source: “Decontaminate field equipment used to clean pollutants from soil, air, or water.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning and decontaminating field kit is hands-on work with the equipment itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: £49,800a year, before tax, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.ashe-t14, 2025 · ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
How we know this
Source: ashe-t14
Reference period: ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)
Rounding: Shown to the nearest £100. The exact published figure is in the downloadable dataset. We do not render pounds the survey cannot support.
People doing this job: 25,500in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: statistical data in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: compiling statistical data and generating detailed reports and responding to customer enquiries. What it cannot do is be trusted in person, which is what new local recycling schemes run on: someone specific doing it and standing behind it. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Your week is splitting in two, and which half fills it is the whole question. Compiling statistical data and generating detailed reports is going; initiating new local recycling schemes is not.

So, given all that: 30% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 27% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 43% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 126 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

The occupation is an average and you are not, so the first job below is finding out where your own week actually sits.

This week: one thing

Print the task ledger above and put your own hours next to each row. Roughly, in pen, in one sitting. Then look at which group your hours actually pile up in. Twenty minutes, this week.

What you end up holding: your own week, on one page, sorted into what is shifting and what is not
How long it takes: about twenty minutes

If printing it isn’t practical: Read the rows off this page and write the same list on the back of an envelope. Same twenty minutes, same page, and it works just as well said out loud to someone who knows the job. The point is your hours next to the rows, not the paper it is on.

Over the next 90 days

Volunteer toward the durable end, visibly. Over the next ninety days put your hand up for the work in the bottom group (initiating new local recycling schemes) and let people see you doing it. Not a new project: the same job, with your mix deliberately tilted. The point is that when the rota or the reorganisation comes, the version of you people picture is the one doing the part that stays.

Over the next 12 months

Claim a specialism at the durable end and let the other end go. Over a year, deliberately become the person who handles initiating new local recycling schemes, and deliberately stop being the first choice for the rows in the top group. That trade costs something, because the exposed work is often the comfortable work. Decide it on purpose rather than by drift. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest UK occupations to waste disposal and environmental services managers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was public services associate professionals: only about 17% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 20.5% less. Your own job splits about 30/70: that share of the list sits in the top exposure band and the rest does not. On this evidence the honest move is inside the job rather than out of it. Become the person who owns “supervise workers in scrap yard operations”, and let the exposed end go.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 412 UK occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Public services associate professionals
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “investigate breaches of environmental policies”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 17% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 17% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: £39,537 against your £49,763, 20.5% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Water and sewerage plant operatives
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “conduct water quality monitoring or sampling to ensure compliance with standards”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 12% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 12% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: £39,690 against your £49,763, 20.2% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Environment professionals
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “collect and analyse pollution samples”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 5% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 5% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: £43,362 against your £49,763, 12.9% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 30% of its task weight, across 126 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The whole-job doom story
Nothing on this page says this job ends. It says the mix inside it moves. Half the rows above are unchanged or changing shape, and the plan is about which half your week sits in. That is a very different problem, and a solvable one.
Panic-buying a course
Do the twenty-minute sorting exercise first. Most people who buy a course before they have done it buy the wrong one, and the free services listed below will tell you the same thing without charging for it.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

If you run a team doing this job

If you run a team doing this job, the conversation you owe them is the one on this page, and sooner than feels comfortable. Show them the ledger rather than a reassurance: the rows moving toward the software are compiling statistical data and generating detailed reports, and the rows that are not are where you want your people visible. Ask each of them to do the this-week move and bring the list to your next one-to-one. It turns a rumour into a piece of work, and it tells you which parts of your team's week are actually at stake. And say the thing out loud that a team lead usually leaves unsaid: a shrinking team is your exposure too, so do the move yourself as well.

You are reading the United Kingdom figures

The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United States page →partial match

In US official statistics this job is counted as Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

In England:
National Careers Service
A free hour with a government-funded careers adviser is worth more than another evening of reading. In England that's the National Careers Service.
Free, government-funded
- Discover your skills and careers (the skills assessment)
In England:
National Careers Service - Find a course
Search what's actually running near you before you spend anything.
Free to search; individual courses vary
In England:
Free courses for jobs (Level 3 qualifications)
A free Level 3 qualification you already qualify for beats a paid course you don't need.
Free for eligible adults
In England:
Skills Bootcamps
Free, up to 16 weeks, and you get a job interview at the end. In England these are Skills Bootcamps - search what's running near you.
Free for eligible adults in England
- Skills Bootcamps - what they are and who can do them (DfE, Skills for Careers)
- Skills Bootcamps - JobHelp (DWP)
In Scotland:
My World of Work (Skills Development Scotland)
In Scotland it's My World of Work, from Skills Development Scotland.
Free, publicly funded
- Skills Development Scotland
In Wales:
Careers Wales
In Wales it's Careers Wales.
Free, Welsh Government-funded
In Northern Ireland:
Careers Service Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland it's the Careers Service on nidirect.
Free, Department for the Economy-funded

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for waste disposal / environmental services managers, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 30% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for waste disposal / environmental services managers. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for waste disposal / environmental services managers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for waste disposal / environmental services managers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for waste disposal / environmental services managers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for waste disposal / environmental services managers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Waste disposal and environmental services managers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 126 official task statements scored for Waste disposal and environmental services managers (United Kingdom, SOC 1254), 30% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 45 out of 100 (range 39–51, band: partial). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Waste disposal and environmental services managers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Record test data in technical reports for equipment performance analysis” (93/100, very high); “Compile reports, charts, or graphs that describe and interpret findings of analyses” (93/100, very high); “Maintain employee records to ensure efficient management of site operations” (93/100, very high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Waste disposal and environmental services managers” stay human?: About 43% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Decontaminate field equipment used to clean pollutants from soil, air, or water” (0/100, minimal); “Conduct visual checks for security, safety, and housekeeping at treatment works sites” (0/100, minimal); “Carry out brushing down, greasing, and de-ragging on assets” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Waste disposal and environmental services managers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 30% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 43% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Waste disposal and environmental services managers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 126 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
57 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: gaisi-index (relatedness)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: ashe-t14 (ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025))nomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

How we score a job Download this release Look up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.