The International Labour Organization (ILO) released its global report on Revolutionizing health and safety: The role of AI and digitization at work (April 2025). The report explores how artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation, robotics and automation are reshaping occupational safety and health (OSH) in workplaces worldwide.
Human Level’s Take:
- Digitisation and automation are transforming the world of work - and they’re here to stay.
- These technologies bring important opportunities to improve health and safety in the workplace. However, they also introduce a range of serious human rights risks that need careful consideration.
- Some of these risks include threats to privacy from increased surveillance and data collection, as well as psychosocial impacts such as stress, cognitive overload, and social isolation. There's also the potential for discrimination through biased AI systems used in hiring and management. On the physical side, emerging technologies can introduce new occupational safety and health (OSH) risks, including ergonomic challenges and device-related strain. In addition, algorithmic management can limit worker autonomy, affect job security and fair scheduling.
- So, what can companies do? The ILO recommends that employers take proactive steps to ensure that digital technologies are integrated in ways that enhance, not reduce, workers’ health and safety.
- This includes: 1) conducting regular risk assessments that consider the physical, organisational, and psychosocial risks of new technologies; 2) implementing preventive measures aligned with OSH hierarchy of controls, prioritising more effective measures; 3) providing training to workers to equip them with the necessary skills to use new technologies safely; 4) continuously updating OSH policies to remain effective as technologies evolve; and 5) involving workers and their representatives in decision-making processes throughout the integration of digital systems.
- It's also essential to tailor these measures to the diverse needs of the workforce - especially for those who may be more vulnerable to OSH challenges.
Some key takeaways:
- Digitisation is transforming safety and health at work: Digitisation and automation impact millions of jobs globally, offering new opportunities to enhance occupational safety and work (OSH). For instance, they can reduce hazardous exposures, prevent workplace injuries and improve overall working conditions. Examples include: 1) automation and advanced robotics, which are streamlining physical and cognitive tasks, reducing exposure to hazardous environments and repetitive strain injuries; 2) smart OSH tools and monitoring systems, which includes AI-powered sensors and wearable devices, enabling real-time hazard detection, predictive risk assessments and proactive OSH management; 3) extended and virtual reality, which can transform worker training through immersive simulations for hazard recognition and emergency response; 4) algorithmic management of work using AI-driven or programmed systems to coordinate labour, optimise task allocation, improve engagement and work-life balance, and address skills gaps; and 5) changing work arrangements, including telework and digital labour platforms, offering greater flexibility.
- Managing new physical, organisational and psychosocial risks: The integration of digitisation and automation into the workplace can introduce new physical, organisational and psychosocial risks. For example: 1) automation introduces risks, including mechanical failures, ergonomic challenges, chemical exposure, noise hazards and psychosocial risks, such as job intensification, cognitive overload, social isolation and job insecurity; 2) smart wearable devices, including smart personal protective equipment (PPE), can come into issues related to comfort, usability and proper fit, especially across diverse worker populations; 3) monitoring systems introduce privacy concerns, workplace surveillance and stress from continuous monitoring; 4) virtual reality is related to potential risks such as blocked visibility, balance issues, visual strain and cognitive overload; 5) algorithmic management of work using AI-driven systems can lead to excessive surveillance, productivity pressure, reduced worker autonomy, increased stress, social isolation, bias in hiring, and intrusive data collection; and 6) telework and platform work can lead to increased workload, digital surveillance, social isolation and ergonomic risks. Platform workers also often face job insecurity, lack of OSH and social protections and irregular work schedules, impacting their health and well-being.
- How can companies address OSH in the digital era: Companies can implement regular risk assessments and management to ensure a proactive approach to preventing potential new risks resulting from the integration and use of digital technologies in the workplace. This involves: 1) regularly evaluating risks associated with new technologies, considering physical, organisational and psychosocial risks; 2) implementing preventive measures aligned with the OSH hierarchy of controls (which ranks safeguards from least to most effective in protecting workers from hazards); 3) providing comprehensive training programmes to equip workers with the necessary skills to use new technologies safely, recognise potential risks and respond effectively to emerging hazards. Tailored training should be provided to those in high-risk or digitally intensive roles; and 4) continuously adapting OSH policies to remain effective as technologies evolve, incorporating worker feedback and the latest OSH advancements. Where possible, workers and their representatives should be actively involved at all stages of digital technology implementation, including design, operation, and monitoring. In addition, preventive and control measures should be adapted to the needs of specific worker populations to ensure more effective risk mitigation measures for those more vulnerable to OSH challenges. While AI-driven analytics, real-time monitoring, and predictive modelling can enhance risk assessments and OSH strategies, they must complement and not replace human judgement in OSH practices.
