30/01/2025
AI and OSH: applications and challenges discussed at PEROSH webinar

The Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH), an official campaign partner of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign (HWC) 2023-25 'Safe and healthy work in the digital age', recently organised a webinar to explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in occupational safety and health (OSH).
The event was introduced by Jan Michiel Meeuwsen, Director of International Affairs at PEROSH, and featured insights from Andrzej Grabowski, Head of the Virtual Reality Laboratory in the Department of Safety Engineering at the Polish CIOP-PIB, Colin Chambers, Chartered Engineer at the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive, Kevin Seeser-Reich, Research Associate at the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA)'s AI and Software Architecture and Michaël Sarrey, Researcher at the INRS in France.
Andrzej Grabowski presented a case study on AI applications at construction sites, focusing on a hospital construction project in Poland. He highlighted how integrating collaborative robots (cobots) in these environments can enhance worker safety. However, he also noted the significant challenges human operators face when working with cobots in complex settings.
Building on the theme of AI integration in workplace safety, Colin Chambers outlined how the HSE has developed an industrial safety and health database to document real-world AI use cases, map the state of AI in British industry and identify potential OSH risks. Similarly, Kevin Seeser-Reich discussed the IFA’s establishment of a competence centre for AI and big data, providing consultancy and support for AI applications in OSH. He also showcased a project focused on AI-driven near-fall detection systems, demonstrating how AI can proactively enhance worker protection.
Expanding on the regulatory aspects of AI in workplace safety, Michaël Sarrey examined the impact of AI on machine control systems within the framework of current EU legislation. Together, these interventions provided an overview of the role of AI role in workplace safety, from practical applications and risk assessment to regulatory considerations.
The full webinar is available in English on PEROSH’s YouTube channel.