June 28, 2024
Eighty-three percent of employees agreed they were open to trying and using new safety technologies in the workplace yet “purchase cost remains a key barrier in adopting safety technologies,” according to a report released Thursday by the National Safety Council.
The NSC has been analyzing trends in workplace hazards and safety technology implementation since 2020. For the latest research, the researchers surveyed 1,000 employees and 500 employees to gauge interest in technologies and address overall workplace safety concerns.
The most notable increases in technology usage were for risk management software, proximity sensors and drones, while use of other technologies has remained flat. The report also highlighted gaps in interest in using technologies and the application thereof, with the widest gaps seen in worker impairment detection, virtual reality, and wearables to track worker health.
Of safety concerns, fatigue topped the list of workplace dangers, followed by heavy equipment operation, heat stress, and working at heights, according to the study. Of the workplace risks that have caused accidents and injuries, fatigue was named among 44% of workers surveyed, followed by lack of proper training at 42% and lack of workplace awareness at 41%.
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