39 www.drivesncontrols.com November/December 2025 SAFETY n Report explores impact of emerging tech on safety According to a recent report, an evidenceled approach is key to navigating the rapid spread of digital technologies – including AI – in relation to occupational safety and health (OSH). The report, The impact of emerging technology on safety at work*, has been published by Lloyd’s Register Foundation Global Safety Evidence Centre, and is based on research carried out by Rand Europe. The researchers mapped evidence on the interaction between emerging technologies and OSH. This evidence was found to be patchy, with more known about the impact of some technologies than others. Among other findings, the report suggests that: n Collaborative robots (cobots), which work alongside humans in manufacturing settings, could have both benefits and risks for worker safety. More evidence is needed, including on how to safely integrate them into existing assembly lines. n Wearable devices, which track health data and environmental risks, may increase both stress and complacency about safety risks, depending on how they are used. n OSH-focused smartphone apps may encourage managers to prioritise safety, promote healthy habits in workers and thereby improve well-being, though evidence for their impact on performance or sickness rates is mixed. n Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) used for training may improve workers’ engagement in learning and motivation to apply safety knowledge, although there is mixed evidence as to whether they improve safety knowledge on their own. The report sets out a research agenda for the evidence gaps that need to be filled, including on how workers in diverse industries may be differently affected by these technologies. Other emerging technologies, such as generative AI, autonomous vehicles and digital twins, also require investigation. The report stresses the importance of collaboration between researchers, safety practitioners, workers and technology innovators. It says this will help to ensure the right questions are asked to solve these challenges and enable technological benefits to be realised safely. “New digital technologies are rapidly changing our economies and our working lives,” says Nancy Hey, director of evidence and insight at Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Workers in different industries may be affected differently by emerging technologies rtified World’s first TÜV-cer er IO-Link Safety Mast of IO-Link Safety and the re about the benefits out mor o find Scan the QR Code t . breaking new development in connectivity ound- e about this gr o find out mor Contact us now t . oductively xibly and pr omation both fle your aut o implement ential t diagnostic options offer huge pot apid wiring and data egration with r Simple field int elated sensors. safety-r controller to the from the seamless communication echnology enables safe, xtension of the IO-Link t This e IO-Link Safety has arrived! IO-Link Safety Master Worlds first TÜV cer Website: www.pilz.co.uk ᶺ sales@pilz.co.uk Email: ᶺ +44 (0) 1536 460766 Telephone: ᶺ Technology Pilz Automation T “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. “We know it is possible to maintain and improve occupational safety without stifling innovation during major technological transitions,” she adds. “We’ve been through many rapid technological shifts in the past that have been made safer by acknowledging the challenges and making a collective effort to address them – that’s what helps people feel confident with change. Coordinated research, grounded in safety science, is essential for technological innovation to develop effectively and safely.” According to Dr Magdalena Soffia, head of social research at the Institute for the Future of Work, the report “comes at a crucial moment. As industries worldwide rush to adopt emerging technologies there is too often blind faith in technical capabilities. In reality, the impacts of these systems – including how well they improve workforce health and safety – depend on how they are designed, developed and deployed. “Governing and regulating emerging technologies is not only about enabling growth and creating new sources of value, it is also about anticipating and mitigating risks to our most important resource: the workforce,” she adds. n *The report can be downloaded from www.lrfoundation.org.uk/publications/ the-impact-of-emerging-technology-on-safety-at-work
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