H&S tech to the rescue

Recent technological advancements, such as the launch of Tesla robots and the ability to view Mars’ landscape via NASA Rovers, have sparked our columnist’s interest in the next level of health and safety (H&S) technologies.

New technologies are increasingly attracting attention from the industrial world, particularly in high-risk sectors like mining, smelting, construction, petrochemicals, transport, and healthcare. As the global community focuses more intensely on worker H&S, significant resources are being invested in these innovations, which fall into several categories. Digital solutions in particular are emerging as a dominant force for the future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to reduce on-the-job decisions while virtual reality will make safety training more effective. Automated safety inspections will be done remotely, enabling monitoring of a wider array of parameters across longer periods of time. Mobile applications are also increasingly being developed to provide intelligent, responsive field safety management.

The primary goal of these new safety features is to adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach. Moving forward, workplace accidents must be examined in real time to determine preventive measures, rather than merely assigning blame. Safety applications should not only report and record accidents, but also offer tools to minimise them, such as providing capabilities to house those working with hazardous chemicals.

Companies in high-risk industries face daily challenges in controlling and managing potential risks to their workers. These technologies are developed to prevent and/or reduce injuries and diseases that workers may be exposed to as part of their jobs.

From the perspective of developing scientific and technological products, these types of technologies are described as P4 technologies. They are designed to develop products related to preserving, preventing, safeguarding, and promoting the health – including the physical and mental safety – of the worker. By engaging in their development, it is inherently understood that the main object of these phenomena is the worker. 

Advanced technologies can be expensive to purchase and implement. In addition, they require operational costs to maintain and keep up to date. The required level of investment may seem to be a significant barrier if an organisation is not in a position to commit such an amount. It may also be hard to allocate the necessary time to gather the facts and present a business case for the strategic management of organisations. Even after the implementation of H&S technologies or data analysis, organisations and experts have been challenged to translate these analytics into actionable items, because too often enhancement technologies are used with no real plan.

Employees’ resistance to adopting new technology also represents a challenge. In addition, employees may lack the skills to effectively transmit digital information.

The choice to leverage technology for H&S is based on the principles of providing H&S protection, and the practical question of how to make safety affordable. 

The integration of ethics into the decision-making process will require adopting a principled framework to guide the use of emerging technologies. It is going to be interesting to see how South Africans adapt and/or industry takes the lead on H&S technological innovations. 

SAVE THE DATE: Saiosh is pleased to announce that the date and venue for the 2025 Saiosh Health and Safety Conference have been secured. The conference will take place on 15 August 2025 at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.