NEWS NEW REPORT EXPLORES EMERGING TECH IMPACT ON WORKER SAFETY
A global safety charity is calling for coordinated efforts to enable the safe and effective development and deployment of new technologies in the workplace.
According to a report from the new Lloyd’s Register Foundation Global Safety Evidence Centre, an evidence- led approach is key to navigating the rapid spread of digital technologies – including AI – in relation to occupational safety and health (OSH).
Research for the report, The Impact of Emerging Technology on Safety at Work, was carried out by RAND Europe. The researchers mapped the available evidence on the interaction between emerging technologies and OSH, which was found to be patchy, with more known about the impact of some technologies than others. The report found that:
• OSH-focused smartphone apps may encourage managers to prioritise safety, promote healthy habits in workers and thereby improve wellbeing, although evidence for their impact on performance or sickness rates is mixed.
• Augmented and virtual reality (AR/ VR) used for interactive training may improve workers’ engagement in
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learning and motivation to apply safety knowledge, although there is mixed evidence as to whether they improve safety knowledge on their own.
• Algorithmic management and emotional AI may have negative impacts on workers’ health and relationships at work, with the report highlighting examples of employees supressing their true emotions to preserve their privacy, and many viewing AI as a sign of a lack of trust from their employer. However, design improvements and collaborative implementation may reduce these risks.
• Wearable devices, which track health data and environmental risks, may increase both stress and complacency about safety risks, depending on how they are used.
• Collaborative robots (cobots) which work alongside humans, typically in manufacturing settings, could have benefits and risks for worker safety. More evidence is needed, including on how to safely integrate them into existing assembly lines.
The report sets out a research agenda for the evidence gaps that need filling, including on how different groups of workers in different industries
may be differently affected by these technologies. Other emerging technologies, including generative AI, autonomous vehicles and digital twins will also require investigation.
The importance of collaboration between researchers, safety practitioners, workers and tech innovators is also stressed – this will help ensure the right questions are asked to effectively solve these challenges and enable technological benefits to be realised safely.
Nancy Hey, Director of Evidence and Insight at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, said: “New digital technologies are rapidly changing our economies and our working lives. This report shows how digital technologies introduced for business reasons can bring new risks, as well as how new technologies can be used to keep workers safe.
“Coordinated research, grounded in safety science, is essential for technological innovation to develop effectively and safely.”
A further report from the Global Safety Evidence Centre, focusing specifically on how new technology is being used to improve safety, will be published in October.
lrfoundation.org.uk.
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