Health and safety Updated on September 29, 2026 By Axel Paupier Methodology

Does an exoskeleton present risks for its user?

Q: Does an exoskeleton present risks for its user?

Yes, INRS identifies three families: mechanical (collisions, crushing, chafing, joint injury), physical-load related (overload, imbalance, other musculoskeletal disorders, muscle deconditioning) and mental-load related (loss of autonomy, increased attention), without giving figures, according to its own page. This is not medical advice.

The answer in detail

An exoskeleton is presented as an aid, but it changes the way you move. INRS, in its risk identification page updated on 23 May 2018, describes the points of vigilance to know before introducing one. This is not medical advice: we report the categories of risk identified.

These risks concern professional use first, but they also inform any personal purchase: a device that adds weight, chafing or a new way of walking is not neutral for the body. The point is not to rule these devices out, but to introduce them with method: better to know the points of vigilance before the trial than to discover them after several weeks of wear.

What INRS says

Mechanical risks: collisions with third parties or with the user, crushing between moving parts, joint injury if movement exceeds physiological limits, chafing, abrasions and nerve compression.
Physical load: overload from weight and bulk, induced or aggravated musculoskeletal disorders, imbalance and postural constraints, sensory disturbance after removal, muscle deconditioning and local muscle wasting in the medium term.
Mental load: loss of control and autonomy, increased attention demands, altered motor and sensory skills requiring readaptation.

INRS's frequently asked questions add that the reduction of musculoskeletal disorders remains limited to specific biomechanical constraints, with a risk of shifting constraints to other body areas.

Step-by-step instructions

Identify what the device is meant to reduce: a posture, a load, a specific fatigue.
Check that no simpler collective solution meets the same need.
Have the workstation risks assessed with the occupational health service before the trial.
Try progressively, for short durations, monitoring chafing, discomfort and fatigue.
Stop and report any new pain, imbalance or persistent discomfort, to the person in charge of prevention.

Common mistakes

Risks are often underestimated because the device is presented as protective.

Considering an exoskeleton as personal protective equipment, which INRS rules out.
Wearing it for long periods from the first day, without a familiarization period.
Looking only at the relieved area without monitoring other parts of the body.
Neglecting the skin: chafing and compression appear quickly at contact points, especially in hot weather.

Key takeaways

INRS identifies mechanical, physical-load and mental-load risks linked to exoskeletons. A device is neither neutral nor protective equipment. Introduce it progressively, with the occupational health service, and stop if you feel discomfort. This is not medical advice, and INRS stresses that follow-up must be organized collectively. For follow-up, read our question on the occupational physician's opinion and our article on regulation at work.