IOSH demands action as tech outpaces worker protection

The urgency of these calls is underlined by new IOSH research showing that organisations are currently prioritising technological progress ahead of people. This reveals that 36 per cent of businesses view cybersecurity as a top digital priority and 34 per cent are accelerating AI deployment. Yet only 26 per cent are focusing on how technology might support worker safety, health and wellbeing.

While organisations are racing to adopt new technologies, 59 per cent introduce these tools without any safety training at all, and 60 per cent fail to consult workers. This is leaving many employees exposed to hazards and risks that they’ve not been prepared for.

These findings form part of The digital dilemma: balancing progress with worker protection, IOSH’s new white paper. This paper warns that businesses are increasingly driven by productivity gains and efficiency targets rather than the impact on worker safety, health and wellbeing. The research shows that while digitalisation brings opportunity, the risks linked to algorithmic management, digital surveillance, technology fatigue and poor integration of new tools are growing. And many organisations are not yet equipped to manage them.

In response to this growing imbalance, IOSH is calling for urgent, system‑level action. It is urging governments to update occupational safety and health frameworks to explicitly address digital hazards and risks. It also wants governments to uphold worker rights and protections, legislate for employer‑led worker impact assessments, and embed safety‑by‑design principles into national digital innovation strategies. Policymakers are called on to establish clear ethical standards for responsible technology use and improve access to digital literacy and upskilling programmes for all workers. This is particularly crucial for small and medium‑sized businesses that may lack internal capability.

For businesses, IOSH is calling for technology adoption to be fully integrated into occupational health and safety management systems. This includes robust risk assessments for AI and digital tools and transparency about how data is stored and used and how decisions are made. IOSH is also urging employers to embed ethical values into their transformation strategies, ensure worker consultation at every stage from planning and design to implementation and adoption, and conduct worker impact assessments before deploying technologies. They should also prioritise training, so workers and managers are not left unsupported when new tools are introduced.

The insights are based on a major global study, involving more than 1,000 senior business leaders across 22 countries. This offers a comprehensive snapshot of how organisations are navigating digital transformation and its human impact.

Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH Head of Policy and Public Affairs, added: “The data is clear: while innovation is accelerating, consideration of workers’ safety, health and wellbeing is not keeping the same pace."

Ruth added: “This is the moment to ensure robust governance, inclusive practices and human-centred design. We also need strengthened digital literacy and worker consultation to be standard practice – not an optional extra.”

The research concludes that digitalisation has extraordinary potential to enhance both productivity and worker wellbeing – but only when implemented responsibly, ethically and with people at the centre. IOSH will continue to push for safer, healthier and more sustainable digital transformation and support organisations in developing worker‑centred innovation strategies.