Emerging tech to enhance industrial workers' safety through new tools

From AI monitoring and smart PPE to mandatory safety marks, India's workplaces are set for a shift as digital tools and regulations reshape occupational safety

The new labour codes have renewed the focus on the safety of workers. One of them, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, aims to protect workers from harsh working conditions in various industrial activities.

 

Emerging technologies are transforming workplace safety by safeguarding both the physical and mental well-being of workers in demanding environments. Innovations such as blockchain-powered compliance tracking, AI-driven real-time safety monitoring, and global zero-incident safety standards are setting new benchmarks.

 

Advanced solutions like autonomous AI safety systems, smart PPE equipped with instant alerts, and blockchain-based certification frameworks further enhance protection. 

Additionally, sustainability-focused measures, including carbon-neutral safety gear, AI-optimised safety strategies, and decentralised, cost-effective safety infrastructures, are shaping a future where safety and sustainability go hand in hand.

 

“The Asia-Pacific area will see the fastest growth in the industrial and workplace safety market. Rapid growth in industry, more building projects, and stricter safety laws by governments are helping this,” a report by Future Market Insights says. “India is switching to digital safety options, wants smart safety gear, and has strong government efforts to stop industrial hazards.” 

Early detection of potential hazards is being done by thermal imaging and has become a critical component of industrial safety.

By monitoring heat levels in machinery, electrical panels, and storage areas, it identifies hotspots that could escalate into fires or explosions.  

Combine this with wearables and the worker safety moves to a higher level of efficiency. Wearable biosensors for employee health monitoring provide real-time insights into key physiological indicators such as hydration levels, physical exertion, and heart rate. By enabling timely interventions, biosensors help prevent fatigue and dehydration-related incidents, significantly improving safety and well-being in labour-intensive industries. 

The industrial safety market reached  $6.52 billion in 2025 and is forecast to expand to $8.12 billion by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence.

 

“Nearly 72 per cent of food manufacturers report deploying AI or digital tools to meet both safety and sustainability targets,” the Mordor report says. “Safety sensors hold the largest component stake at 32 per cent industrial safety market share, reflecting a ‘detection-first’ architecture,” it said. 

Regulation is playing a strong role to bring technology into industrial safety. 

The EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 mandates cybersecurity features in AI-enabled machinery by January 2027. Indian rules would require every piece of industrial machinery to carry compulsory safety marks by Bureau of Indian Standards. 

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) are now very integral to the new labour code. Industry leaders will increasingly have to adopt new technologies at workplaces. Both industrial and corporate workplaces can be improved by using IoT and AI-based solutions. 

The labour code has proposed the setting up of a national OSH board in the country “to set harmonised safety and health standards across sectors.” The government says that while advancements in technology have minimised or eliminated some hazards at the workplace, new risks can emerge in their place which needs to be addressed. 

The Indian industry has neglected worker safety so far. Common standards and use of technology will help the Indian business improve working conditions of its human capital. As India deepens its manufacturing ecosystem, tech-led worker safety norms should percolate from large industrial units to small factories. The use of technology in OSH creates a new business opportunity for startups in the country.