The findings highlight a clear divide between over 1,000 managers and workers across six sectors, including:

• Over a third (36%) of managers believe AI will reduce safety risks, compared with just 16% of workers

• Half of managers (47%) surveyed say their business is fully ready to adopt AI in safety processes, yet only 16% of workers agree

• And while nearly a third of managers (32%) report AI already in use, only 8% of frontline staff see evidence of it in practice.

Perception gaps extend beyond AI readiness: when asked whether a central, unified workplace safety system would make compliance easier, 68% of managers agreed—yet nearly one in four workers (24%) say their organisations are still stuck on paper, from inductions and sign-in to incident reporting. Almost one in three (29%) workers also admitted that “old habits” are slowing the adoption of new technology in their workplaces.

At the same time, workers express a need for greater understanding of AI: 33% want more education on how AI could improve safety, while 24% admit they do not fully understand its role.

Other findings from The Rapid Global UK Workplace Safety Report:

• 30% of managers admit to fast-tracking safety training, compared with 12% of workers

• 42% of managers want to consolidate workplace safety systems, yet 19% of workers and 15% of managers still rely on paper-based processes for incident reporting

• 38% of managers see timely incident reporting as a challenge, versus 24% of workers

• 22% of workers say safety processes cause them anxiety, rising to 37% of 25–34 year olds vs 19% of over-55s, and 25% of women vs 21% of men.

What’s really going on across UK Plc about workplace safety and AI?

The research commissioned by Rapid Global was conducted in August 2025 by market research consultancy, Research Without Barriers, who surveyed more than 1,000 UK managers and frontline workers, including 504 workplace safety managers and 503 workers across the following sectors: building and construction, facilities management, manufacturing and logistics, warehousing, property management and transport.

As stated, the research surfaces a clear mismatch between frontline staff, who often fail to see the potential in digitisation, and managers, who are pushing for modernisation.

Much of this may stem from a misunderstanding of what technologies are actually being discussed. In workplace safety, the focus is not on generative AI but on proven tools such as computer vision, facial recognition, machine learning and cloud-based platforms that can deliver measurable improvements in compliance and risk reduction.

Commenting on the results, Paul Rapuano, global strategic partnerships manager, Rapid Global, notes, ”The Rapid Global UK Workplace Safety 2025 Report shows that while managers increasingly see automation and AI as vital to reducing workplace risk, strengthening compliance, and driving efficiency, frontline workers remain cautious.

“The opportunity for businesses to get measurable value from practical AI like Computer Vision is very real, but success depends on investing in education so that technology adoption treats workers like active partners.

”This research also shows that UK managers see the need to modernise and consolidate safety systems, but there’s an awareness gap about what truly practical, empowering technology can do.”

A workplace safety UK action plan

Businesses can close this gap with education and proof-of-concept projects that clearly show how modern, integrated digital workplace safety delivers benefits for workers, contractors and the wider organisation.

Concludes Rapuano, “Businesses that act now to embrace AI-enabled, unified safety platforms will cut risk, protect their people, and strengthen resilience, but only if they bring workers with them.”

The Rapid Global UK Workplace Safety Research Report 2025 is available here

The man, in his early 40s, was working underneath the arm when it failed, resulting in life-changing crush injuries. He had been working for Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited at its site in the town when the incident happened on 10 May 2023.

He had been carrying out preparation work for the casting of aluminium blocks from molten aluminium. He was kneeling inside a casting mould, wearing heat resistant clothing, to insert ceramic string around its edges. The hydraulic launder arm above the mould, which is used to transport molten metal around the foundry, suddenly fell onto him. It is believed the exterior temperature of the launder arm was around 100°C.

The falling arm crushed him and narrowly missed another worker.

The man was trapped for three minutes before the floor of the mould was lowered to release the pressure. However, it was a further 19 minutes before the hydraulic arm could be lifted to allow recovery.

The incident and the injuries sustained by the individual have had a dramatic impact on his day-to-day life and he has not been able to return to work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the arm fell as a result of hydraulic failure. While there was a safety bar intended to prevent the arm from falling, it was not fit for purpose. Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited had not assessed the risks of the hydraulic arm falling and therefore failed to implement a suitable safe system of work to prevent employees from working beneath it.

The law requires employers to assess the risks to which their employees are exposed at work, and to implement suitable control measures to reduce the risk of harm. This includes ensuring that work equipment is fit for purpose and adequately maintained. HSE guidance explains – Managing risks and risk assessment at work – Overview -HSE.

Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited of Stourbridge Road, Bridgnorth, pleaded guilty breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £8,301 in costs at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 13 October 2025.

HSE inspector Nicola Willcox said: “This was a serious incident that should never have happened.

“The company subsequently implemented simple control measures to prevent it from re-occurring. The process of placing the ceramic string in the moulds is now carried out with the hydraulic arm in the lowered position, and people are restricted from walking under the it when it is raised.

“If these measures had been in place at the time, then this incident would not have happened.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Jason Dix. The investigation was supported by Natalka Heath, HSE Visiting Officer.

Raffaele Vigliotti, 68, who was trading as Absolute Building Solutions, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, after the death of Andrew Layley. The 69-year-old, an acquaintance of Vigliotti, was helping with roof work as part of an extension to a domestic property in the town.

It was during this work on 8 April 2023 that Mr Layley fell and sustained serious head injuries. He died in hospital several weeks later.

Mr Layley, from Reading, was married with three grown up children and had a love of cats. His wife of nearly 40 years and children massively feel the loss of their “caring” husband and dad, saying his loss has left a huge hole in their lives.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Vigliotti failed to put in place suitable measures to protect both Mr Layley and another worker while they were working at height. The measures that were used were inadequate to either prevent or control a fall, or mitigate the consequence of a fall.

HSE guidance requires where it is not possible to avoid working at height, action must be taken to control the risk of falling and also minimise the consequence of a fall by either minimising the distance of a fall, or having measures in place, such as soft landing systems, to mitigate the fall. Guidance on working at height is available – Introduction to working at height safely – HSE.

Mr Vigliotti of The Hedges, Bath Road, Padworth, Reading, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.  At Reading Crown Court on 13 October 2025 he was given an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.  He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 18 months and to pay a victim surcharge.

HSE inspector Nicola Pinckney said: “Every year, a significant proportion of incidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur as a result of unsuitable or absent measures to protect workers from falls from height.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident, and if consideration had been given to the well-known risks of working at height, and suitable, readily available controls been put in place, this incident could have been avoided.

“Due to Vigliotti’s failures, a family has been left without a much loved husband and dad.

“The penalty imposed on Mr Vigliotti will hopefully serve to highlight to others the importance of taking this risk seriously and ensuring they protect their workers from this risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

James Tabiri, 57, was working as a sort line operative at Biffa Waste Services Ltd’s waste transfer site in Bradford. On 10 August 2023, while making his way to the site office across the weighbridge, he was struck from behind by a reversing skip wagon. The impact caused him to fall, and he died from crush injuries from the rear wheels.

As part of its wider Workplace Health Campaign, HSENI is calling on employers to act now to reduce the risks of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) such as lower back problems, damage to joints and limbs ahead of the busiest season for the sector.

Speaking at a major logistics conference in Belfast, HSENI Principal Inspector Kellie McNamara urged employers to work with her team of inspectors to reduce work-related serious injury and ill health associated with MSDs.

“HSENI statistics show that every year in Northern Ireland an estimated 18,000 people suffer from work-related MSDs and some 260,000 working days are lost as a result.

“And we know that manual handling in the haulage industry can create a risk of injury especially if they are handling heavy and awkward loads that can expose them to excessive compressive force on the back and awkward postures. In addition, drivers are susceptible to back injuries, often caused by prolonged sitting, poor posture, vibrations, and inadequate seat support.

“The HSENI inspectors will be out visiting the sector over the coming months to specifically look at the controls that employers have in place to manage risks associated with transport, moving and handling. We will also provide information and advice to employers on the risk of MSD associated with transport and manual handling.”

She highlighted at the Logistics UK, Belfast Transport Managers event at the Culloden Hotel, that employers have a legal duty to assess, eliminate or reduce the risk of employees suffering MSDs that are caused or aggravated by their work to as low a level as is reasonably practicable.

“All workplaces have health risks but no one should suffer injury or illness simply as a result of the work that they do. Our team will be stressing to employers that they must place the same emphasis upon assessing workplace health risks, as those associated with safety, to ensure there are appropriate measures to mitigate the risk of injury.

“We would also advise all employers and self-employed in the transport sector to utilise the free HSENI resources available to them to make the improvements needed in their workplaces. Where we find significant risks our inspectors may take enforcement action to achieve compliance with health and safety legislation,” Kellie added.

Practical guidance on preventing work-related MSD can be found at:

• Guidance on the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace
• Manual handling at work - (HSE website)(external link opens in a new window / tab)
• Manual Handling - Questions and Answers

A.T. Lee Properties Limited and LJH Property Limited were fined a combined total of more than £95k following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Directors for each firm were also given conditional discharges and ordered to pay prosecution costs.

The case relates to a fatal incident near Twerton on 1 December 2018, when 28-year-old Bethan Roper suffered a fatal head injury after placing her head outside a droplight window of a moving GWR train and striking a tree branch. Droplight windows, found on trains with slam doors, can be lowered to open.

In 2016, a passenger died in a similar incident near Balham, south London. Following that accident, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) issued safety recommendations in May 2017.

Although GWR was already aware of a number of previous incidents, the company did not produce a written risk assessment for droplight windows until September 2017. That assessment identified the hazard as one of the most significant passenger safety risks. 

However, some of the actions that GWR had identified to reduce the risk were not implemented before the fatal accident in 2018. 

Following Ms Roper’s death, further safety recommendations were issued across the rail industry,  to prevent passengers from leaning out of droplight windows. 

As a result of these measures, all rolling stock operated by train companies that had droplight windows has since either been withdrawn from service or fitted with engineering controls to prevent windows being opened while trains are moving. 

Richard Hines, ORR’s chief inspector of Railways, said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Bethan Roper. Her death was a preventable tragedy that highlights the need for train operators to proactively manage risks and act swiftly when safety recommendations are made to keep their passengers safe.

"Our investigation found that GWR fell short in its responsibilities, and this prosecution reflects the serious consequences of that failure. We welcome the actions taken since by GWR and the wider industry to reduce the risks. Safety must always remain the first priority across Britain’s railways.”

David Saint – described as ‘my everything’ by his daughter – worked as an engineering manager at Northwood Consumer Limited, at its site in Electra Park, Electric Avenue.

The 61-year-old, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, was walking across the service road on the shared industrial estate on 19 October 2023, when the reversing HGV collided with him.

Mr Saint leaves behind his wife, Cassandra, his children Samantha and Adam, his grandchildren, Jake and Ava, as well as his father, Terry, and siblings, Paul, Kim and Michael.

His daughter, Samantha, said: “He was my everything, there was nothing he wasn’t involved in. My life now consists of ‘what would dad do?’ I think of him and miss him every day.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Northwood Consumer Limited failed to:

• Undertake a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks associated with workplace transport.
• Address the movement of HGVs in its site rules;
• Eliminate, as far as possible, the need for HGVs to reverse;
• Provide any aids or assistance to HGVs that had to be reversed;
• Display any signage to warn of the hazards arising from the movement of HGVs; and
• Control when HGVs would access the site.

HSE guidance provides advice for employers on what they need to do to comply with the law and reduce risk. The guide is also useful for managers, supervisors, employees and their safety representatives, as well as contractors, vehicle operators and other organisations concerned with workplace transport safety.

Mr Saint’s son Adam added: “I just miss my dad being there. I miss the conversations that we used to have and his guidance."

Northwood Consumer Limited of  Northwood House, Stafford Park 10, Telford, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £240,000 and ordered to pay £6,917 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 6 October 2025.

Lead HSE inspector Charlie Rowe said: “This is a tragic and shocking case that has devastated Mr Saint’s family, friends and loved ones.

“Pedestrians being struck by moving vehicles remains a leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain. Many of these incidents involve the reversal of vehicles with poor visibility, such as HGVs.

“The HSE will continue to take appropriate enforcement action where employers fail to implement reasonably practicable measures to keep people safe.

“My thoughts remain with all of David’s family and friends.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and supported by senior paralegal manager Sarah Thomas.

With the Construction Skills Network forecasting the industry will need an additional 250,000 workers by 2028, experts warn that untreated health issues risk forcing more experienced workers out of the industry at a time when skills are already in short supply. 

The figures highlight a workforce under mounting pressure, with therapies, dental and optical support among the most frequently claimed services. Therapies, including physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture, rose by around 10% year on year, with the value of claims up nearly 20%. Dental claims increased by 3% in volume and 8% in value, while optical claims rose by 2% in volume and more than 7% in value. Together, dental and optical accounted for around three in five claims (59%) and approximately 62% of total claim value, underlining how heavily construction workers rely on employer-backed support for both everyday healthcare and treatments linked to physical strain. 

Nearly two thirds (62%) of manual workers say it has become harder to get health appointments, while one in three reports having no wellbeing support in their workplace, according to a recent Westfield Health survey. This limited access to routine care is consistent with rising demand for therapies and everyday health support through employer-backed plans. 

These findings echo official statistics that underline the scale of the challenge. The Health and Safety Executive reports that more than half (52%) of all work-related ill-health days in construction are caused by musculoskeletal conditions. At the same time, the Chartered Institute of Building’s 2025 report highlights persistent issues with stress, anxiety and depression across the sector. Both musculoskeletal problems and poor mental health are generally preventable with the right support and early intervention yet continue to drive significant absence across the industry. 

Mark Hamson, managing director of Insurance at Westfield Health, said: “Construction firms have a duty of care to protect their people, but there is also a business reality. When workers cannot access timely support, productivity drops, absenteeism rises, and retention suffers. Our data shows strong demand for everyday preventative services that reflect the pressures construction workers face. Investing in workforce health is essential if the industry wants to keep hold of its skilled people.” 

The claims data shows how both the physical intensity of construction work and gaps in access to routine healthcare are driving up demand for employer-backed support.  

Industry leaders argue that companies which prioritise early intervention measures, from physiotherapy and mental health services to affordable dental and optical care, will be best placed to safeguard their workforce and build long-term resilience. 

Westfield Health says the findings underline the role of tailored health benefits in helping firms respond. By helping employees access support early, organisations can promote wellbeing while also encouraging productivity and retention, especially at a time when retaining skilled workers is more crucial than ever. 

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Neil Burton carried out boiler services in a home in Stockton-on-Tees on two occasions, in May 2021 and April 2022. Although Burton had previously been on the Gas Safe Register, he had allowed his membership and qualifications to lapse. A subsequent review of the boiler identified defects which meant it was classed as a risk and a danger.

Burton, 41, also carried out work at a house in Middlesbrough in September 2022 and October 2023. These works included disconnecting a gas hob and installing a new one, as well as disconnecting a gas fire. As he had done previously, he carried out this work while not registered to do so. He had also been subject of previous action taken by HSE, when carrying out illegal gas work in 2015.

Neil Burton, of Harrogate Crescent, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(1) and 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 7 October 2025.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Darian Dundas said: “All gas work must be carried out by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met and to prevent injury or loss of life.

“The public should always ask to see a gas engineer’s identification and check their registration number online.”