AI and digital tools are reshaping safety, but adoption lags among employees
Australian companies are investing heavily in workplace safety systems, but new research reveals a troubling disconnect between leadership confidence and worker experience, a gap experts warn could undermine safety outcomes.
A national survey of more than 1,000 safety managers, workers, and contractors across high-risk industries found that while 65% of workers say safety processes are clear and practical, only 41% believe safety is taken seriously by everyone, all the time, according to the Workplace Safety Australian Market Research Report commissioned by Rapid Global and conducted by Research Without Barriers.
“Safety is often well documented, yet not consistently felt by people on the ground,” said Professor Dr Andrew Sharman, CEO of the International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture. “Bridging the gap between policy and practice is less about systems alone and much more about leadership. Trust is the critical differentiator.”
The research identified poor usability of safety software as a major barrier, particularly in larger organizations, where only 30% of workers find it easy to use. Fewer than half of executives say their current safety tools use modern, easy-to-use technology, and nearly one in four workers report personally witnessing unreported incidents.
Despite years of digital transformation, 23% of Australian businesses still rely on paper-based systems for critical safety tasks, especially in industries managing remote sites and large contractor workforces.
Gaps in implementation
The study also revealed sharp divisions over artificial intelligence adoption. While 64% of managers believe AI and robotics will fundamentally transform workplace safety within five years, only 25% of workers agree. Meanwhile, 41% of managers admit using unofficial AI tools for safety tasks, suggesting demand is outpacing organizational governance.
“Complex, high-risk environments require more than ticking boxes,” said Ezequiel Gonzalez, head of revenue at Rapid Global. “Technology should not replace human judgement but make it sharper. When systems are easier to use and data is easier to act on, safer outcomes follow.”
The report identified another concerning gap in enforcement: more than one-third of workers and managers say people can still enter workplaces with incomplete or expired training, despite 62% of managers agreeing that linking induction data directly to site access systems would improve safety.
AI adoption remains geographically uneven, with organizations in NSW, Queensland, and Western Australia more than twice as likely to use AI-enabled safety systems compared to those in Victoria and South Australia.
The research suggests organizations most likely to improve outcomes are those reducing friction and making safe behaviour the easiest option, rather than simply deploying more technology.
Research by the University of Technology Sydney’s Human Technology Institute, released in 2024, indicates that Australian workers are often excluded from AI adoption decisions, raising concerns over trust and increasing scepticism. Separate analysis also shows that many employers overestimate how responsibly they adopt AI, with only a minority following best practices in governance.
