Global report calls for evidence-led approach to emerging tech in workplace safety

Research being conducted by a health and safety professional for evidence generation.

A new report from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Global Safety Evidence Centre urges coordinated, science-based research efforts to ensure that the rapid adoption of digital technologies—including AI, wearables, and collaborative robots—improves, rather than undermines, occupational safety and health (OSH).

Produced in partnership with RAND Europe, the report maps current research-based evidence on how emerging technologies affect workplace safety, identifies critical knowledge gaps, and calls for greater collaboration among researchers, practitioners, workers, and technology developers.

Evidence landscape remains patchy

The evidence base on emerging technology and OSH remains “limited and uneven across different technology areas, sectors and industries,” the report finds. “Overall, there is a lack of rigorous research, with the evidence comprised predominantly of small-scale studies that lack a robust counterfactual.” While there is “robust evidence to support the use of safety-related smartphone applications to promote behaviour change and generate positive physical and mental health benefits for workers,” the report cautions that “the benefits of technology, and in particular safetytech, need to be balanced against potential risks, which are not well understood.”

Mixed impacts and new risks

Findings from the reports highlight: 

    • OSH-focused smartphone apps can encourage managers to prioritise safety and promote healthy habits, but evidence for their impact on performance or sickness rates is mixed.
    • Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) training may improve engagement and motivation, but there is mixed evidence on whether they improve safety knowledge alone.
    • Algorithmic management and emotional AI may increase psychosocial risks, with workers sometimes suppressing their true emotions to preserve privacy and viewing AI as a sign of mistrust from employers.
    • Wearable devices can increase both stress and complacency, depending on their use.
    • Collaborative robots (cobots) present both opportunities and risks, but more evidence is needed on their safe integration.

The report states: “It is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the impact of new technologies on OSH. Nonetheless, some overarching themes can be identified. New technologies can have a profound impact on workers’ safety and health even if they are not introduced with safety in mind.”

Call for collaboration and further research

Nancy Hey, director of evidence and insight at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, says digital technologies are changing work rapidly and can bring both new risks and new opportunities for safety. “We know it’s possible to maintain and improve occupational safety without stifling innovation, but only if we acknowledge the challenges and address them collectively,” she says. “Coordinated research, grounded in safety science, is essential for innovation to develop safely.”

Dr. Magdalena Soffia, head of social research at the Institute for the Future of Work, warns against “blind faith in technical capabilities.” She notes that the real impact of emerging systems “depends on how they are designed, developed and deployed.” She adds that evidence mapping is crucial to track how these technologies affect worker health and safety and to guide future investment.

Next steps for health and safety professionals

The report concludes: “There is a pressing need to strengthen the evidence base on the impact of more transformational technologies such as Algorithmic Management and Emotional AI, particularly in relation to their consequences for workers’ exposure to psychosocial risks. Where empirical evidence does exist for these technologies, this is often comprised primarily of small-scale studies that lack a robust counterfactual. There is a need for investment in high-quality studies, including randomised trials, to provide robust estimates of how new technologies, some of which are already widely adopted, affect workers’ safety and health.”

The authors call on health and safety professionals to engage with researchers and technology developers, share best practices, and contribute to a stronger, more actionable evidence base. “It is crucial not to lose sight of the worker perspective and the importance of consulting workers during the design and development phase of technologies as well as their evaluation,” the report notes.

Original Article – Occupational Health & Safety