Using AI-driven feedback

Responding is R. Mukund, CEO, Benchmark Gensuite, Mason, OH.

AI and advanced technologies are reshaping how organizations approach safety and training. Traditional safety methods often create gaps between instruction and actionable feedback, hindering effective learning and perpetuating unsafe practices. Advanced tools enhance training outcomes and safety standards by providing real-time feedback on performance and fostering open communication channels for immediate clarification and improvement.

Use AI for smarter safety insights

AI’s capabilities enable organizations to identify safety patterns that might not be visible through traditional methods, helping to uphold and advance safety standards. By collecting data from wearable devices, sensors and cameras, AI systems can monitor workers’ behavior and identify hazards in real time.

For instance, if a worker demonstrates an unsafe behavior, AI can flag it and suggest corrective actions, ensuring timely intervention. This proactive approach detects issues and strengthens adherence to protocols, creating a safer and more responsive work environment.

AI can analyze performance trends across teams and locations using data collected from various sources. This helps organizations pinpoint systemic issues – such as recurrent safety violations in specific areas or with particular equipment – and report these insights to leadership. With this information, leaders can implement targeted training interventions and adjust workflows to address those risks.

Additionally, organizations can use AI to increase the relevancy of role-specific training by tailoring content for specific sites, equipment and hazards using a combination of Internet of Things monitoring and AI-enabled data analysis.

In practice, this means that organizations can proactively identify specific equipment slated for maintenance and the type of maintenance required and deliver training on lockout/tagout procedures while preempting dangerous equipment failures. Whether focused on improving general safety awareness or addressing specific hazards, such a data-informed approach ensures training aligns with real risks workers face, increasing its effectiveness and fostering a safer work environment.

Empower teams through communication and adaptability

AI plays a key role in fostering two-way communication between workers and leadership. Traditional safety systems often lack interactivity, but AI-driven platforms enable employees to report concerns, ask questions and seek clarification instantly. This is realized by improving both the quality of the data captured by frontline workers and the efficiency with which the data is generated and analyzed. Whether during training sessions or on the job, this real-time interaction creates a feedback loop that builds trust within the organization. When employees feel seen, heard and supported, they’re more likely to engage with safety protocols, share ideas for process improvements and actively mitigate risks.

AI also transforms safety training by personalizing and adapting it to evolving conditions and individual progress. Wearables and mobile apps assess worker performance and environmental conditions in real time, identifying areas for ongoing health monitoring and evaluation and proactively delivering content to address the safety concerns associated with on-the-ground working conditions. This dynamic, on-demand learning ensures training remains aligned with current safety standards and emerging risks, keeping workers prepared for changing challenges.

Create a culture of proactive safety

AI and advanced technologies aren’t just tools for improving safety – they’re catalysts for creating workplaces where safety is ingrained in the culture. Real-time feedback, personalized learning and open communication empower employees to take ownership of their safety while enabling organizations to anticipate and address risks effectively. As employers adopt these technologies, they pave the way for safer, more collaborative environments where training outcomes and safety standards continually improve.

Editor's note: This article represents the independent views of the author and should not be considered a National Safety Council endorsement.