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The impact of emerging technology on safety at work

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New technologies are revolutionising the world of work and have the potential to transform how we support the safety of workers. 

Digital and automated technology can warn workers of nearby hazards, carry out dangerous tasks, and create virtual worlds that prepare workers for real-life emergencies. New technologies can also pose new risks for workers, including to their psychological and emotional health, and create workplace tensions. 

Organisations are adopting new technologies for both safety and other purposes, but they often lack knowledge about their impact. To ensure workers benefit from these new technologies, researchers and regulators need to provide evidence of their effectiveness and advice on how to implement them. 

The quick read

A review of the evidence on the impact of emerging technologies on safety at work found that:

  • The evidence base is patchy, with newer technologies lacking in high-quality studies.
  • The evidence comes mainly from high-income countries and focuses on some workers and occupations which may not be those most affected.
  • Emerging technologies can provide high quality data for evaluations, but few of them are used to understand worker safety.
  • Research and regulation are not keeping up with the pace of technological change. Practitioners’ experience of testing new technologies is crucial for identifying opportunities and risks.

There is evidence that some technologies are safe and effective, while others may present unintended risks for workers:

  • Smartphone apps may encourage managers to prioritise safety, promote healthy habits in workers and improve wellbeing, although there is mixed evidence of their effect on performance or sickness rates.
  • Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) may improve workers’ engagement in learning and motivation to apply safety knowledge, although there is mixed evidence that they improve safety knowledge on their own.
  • Wearable devices, Algorithmic Management and Emotional Artificial Intelligence (AI) may have negative impacts on workers’ health and on relationships at work, but design improvements and collaborative implementation may reduce these risks.
  • Collaborative robots (cobots) could have benefits and risks for worker safety, but the evidence base is not developed enough. Technologies have the potential to make transformational changes to safety at work, but more high-quality evaluations are needed to give employers confidence to implement them.

Download the briefing

The impact of emerging technology on safety at work

This report reviews existing evidence on how emerging technologies affect workplace safety, highlighting significant gaps in research—particularly around newer technologies and underrepresented worker groups.

Download The impact of emerging technology on safety at work (PDF, 1.55MB)

Citation (briefing)

If you wish to use and reference the The impact of emerging technology on safety at work (Briefing) in your own work, please include the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.60743/bwrp-2d71

Example Citation in IEEE Style:

Lloyd's Register Foundation, “The impact of emerging technology on safety at work (Briefing),” Lloyd's Register Foundation, 2025. doi: 10.60743/BWRP-2D71.

Download the technical report

The intersection of occupational safety and health with emerging technology: Scoping and mapping the evidence to plan for future research

This report assesses current evidence on the occupational safety and health implications of six emerging technologies, integrating literature review and expert consultation. It identifies research gaps and informs future study priorities.

Download The intersection of occupational safety and health with emerging technology: Scoping and mapping the evidence to plan for future research (PDF, 676.97KB)

Citation (technical)

If you wish to use and reference the The intersection of occupational safety and health with emerging technology: Scoping and mapping the evidence to plan for future research (Technical report) in your own work, please include the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.60743/5mc5-a683

Example Citation in IEEE Style:

RAND Europe, “The intersection of occupational safety and health with emerging technology: Scoping and mapping the evidence to plan for future research (Technical report),” Lloyd's Register Foundation, 2025. doi: 10.60743/5MC5-A683.