New Report from Safetytech Accelerator Highlights How Emerging Technologies Can Improve Workplace Safety and Boost Efficiency

• Highlights the advantages of emerging technologies over traditional safety methods, offering automated, real-time, data-driven solutions.
• Showcases real-world case studies demonstrating how industries are already benefiting from advanced safety technologies.
• Provides a step-by-step, practical guide for organisations to successfully implement safety innovations using a 7-step framework.

London, UK – 25 September 2024. As organisations across safety-critical industries seek to enhance both workplace safety and operational efficiency, Safetytech Accelerator has released a new report, “Delivering Safety Innovation: Advancing OSH with Emerging Technologies.” The report outlines how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, wearable devices, robotics, and real-time monitoring offer solutions that address both evolving safety regulations and the need for greater operational efficiency. 

At a time when UK businesses face increasing regulatory demands, including Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspections prioritising musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)- which affected 473,000 workers in Great Britain in the year to March 2023 – alongside other workplace hazards and upcoming updates to RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations)​, the report offers guidance on how organisations can leverage cutting-edge technologies to ensure compliance and improve safety outcomes. Central to this guidance is a 7-step framework that outlines a clear approach to successfully implementing these technologies. 

Beyond compliance, the report highlights how these innovations also drive operational improvements and contribute to corporate responsibility and ESG performance. 

Key Insights from the Report:

• Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries: In the year to March 2023, 473,000 workers in Great Britain experienced work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), primarily due to manual handling, repetitive motions, and poor ergonomics. Trials show that robotics and exoskeletons have reduced the number of warehouse workers developing MSDs by 30%. 

• Improving Height Safety:  With falls being the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the UK, drones and augmented reality (AR) can be used for inspections and training, enhancing safety by reducing the need to place workers in high-risk situations. 

• Predicting Equipment Failures: In mechanical lifting operations, AI-driven sensors can predict equipment failures and optimise load handling, reducing accidents. 

• Enhancing Site Traffic Safety:  In environments with moving plant equipment and site traffic—major causes of workplace injuries and fatalities—visual analytics can reduce the likelihood of being struck by a vehicle by over 60%. 

• Monitoring Hazardous Substances: Wearable sensors that monitor air quality in real-time alert workers to dangerous conditions, such as asbestos or dust exposure, improving safety. 

• Inspecting Confined Spaces:  Confined spaces, which pose significant risks due to limited access points, can be assessed more safely with robotic inspections and remote monitoring, reducing the need for human entry by 75%. 

Dr. Maurizio Pilu, Founder and Managing Director of Safetytech Accelerator, commented:

“Emerging technologies are transforming workplace offering businesses powerful tools to improve safety, reduce operational risk while also enhancing efficiency and operational performance.  In this new report we outline the technologies with the highest OHS impact and provide a 7-step framework to help leaders in safety critical industries integrate these technologies in their organization effectively and efficiently.”

For more information on how emerging technologies can help your organization improve both safety and efficiency, while navigating the evolving regulatory landscape, download the full report here.

This report is part of Safetytech Accelerator Insight Series.  

About Safetytech Accelerator 

Safetytech Accelerator, established by Lloyd’s Register, is the first fully dedicated technology accelerator focused on advancing innovation in safety critical industries. We are focused on making the world safer, more resilient, and more sustainable by helping organisations operating in safety critical industries to innovate and adopt new technology more successfully. safetytechaccelerator.org