Smart digital systems : implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health.
Date: 2025-05-19
Institutions: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Subjects: accident prevention, artificial intelligence, health risk, impact of information technology, occupational health, occupational safety, smart technology, user guide

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Smart digital systems: implementation 
guide for improving workers’ safety 
and health 

 
 
 
 
Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

Authors: Danae Nicosia, Kyrillos Spyridopoulos, Dareen Toro (Ecorys). 

Project management: Annick Starren, Ioannis Anyfantis  – European Agency for Safety and Health at 
Work (EU-OSHA). 

This guide was commissioned by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Its 
contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do 
not necessarily reflect the views of EU-OSHA. 

Neither  the  European  Agency  for  Safety  and  Health  at  Work  nor  any  person  acting  on  behalf  of  the 
Agency is responsible for the use that might be made of the following information. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025 

© European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2025 

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the copyright of the European 
Agency for Safety and Health at Work, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. 

Icons  credits:  |  Figure  1  (chemical  and  physical  icons)  made  by  Eucalyp  |  Figure  1  (ergonomic, 
psychosocial and safety icons), Box 2, Box 5, Box 6, Box 7, Box 8, Box 9, and Box 12 icons made by 
Freepik  | Box 4 icon made by ultimatearm | Box 11 icon made by Uniconlabs . All from www.flaticon.com  

PDF 

| ISBN 978-92-9402-349-0  

| doi:10.2802/4459602 

   | TE-01-24-013-EN-N 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

Table of Contents 

1  Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 5 
2  Overview of types of smart digital and associated workplace resources .................................. 6 
3  Criteria for developing workplace resources ................................................................................ 7 
3.1  Keep it informative ................................................................................................................. 8 
3.1.1  Explain the workplace risks ......................................................................................... 8 
3.1.2  Explain the purpose and use of the system ................................................................ 8 
3.1.3  Explain use of data ..................................................................................................... 9 
3.1.4  List responsibilities .................................................................................................... 10 
3.1.5  Make limitations clear ............................................................................................... 10 
3.1.6  Keep it short and simple ........................................................................................... 10 
3.2  Make it relatable .................................................................................................................. 11 
3.3  Use a multimedia strategy ................................................................................................... 11 
4  Cross-cutting dimensions ............................................................................................................. 12 
4.1  Place emphasis on existing OSH procedures ..................................................................... 12 
4.2  Promote on-the-job training ................................................................................................. 13 
4.3  Go for the walks and the talks ............................................................................................. 13 
5  General considerations on smart digital systems ...................................................................... 14 
5.1  Understand workplace needs .............................................................................................. 14 
5.2  Appreciate socio-cultural and work context ........................................................................ 14 
5.3  Place workers at the centre of the process ......................................................................... 15 
6  Conclusion: Towards a healthier and safer workplace .............................................................. 15 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes 

Figure 1: Workplace risks ........................................................................................................................ 7 

Figure 2: Hierarchy of controls .............................................................................................................. 12 

Table 1: Summary of key messages ..................................................................................................... 16 

Box 1: Tips & Tricks - Learning more about risks in specific sectors ...................................................... 8 

Box 2: Tips & Tricks - Learning more about risks ................................................................................... 8 

Box 3: Tips & Tricks - Using videos and in situ briefings to explain the purpose of OSH smart digital 
systems ....................................................................................................................................... 9 

Box 4: Common questions around data .................................................................................................. 9 

Box 5: Tips & Tricks - Addressing considerations around the use of data: an example from Sweden... 9 

Box 6: Tips & Tricks - Including and updating a FAQ section in workplace resources ......................... 10 
Box 7: How can smart digital systems cause harm? A potencial example ........................................... 10 

Box 8: Tips & Tricks - Using behavioural science to promote OSH ...................................................... 11 

Box 9: Tips & Tricks - Involving workers in the design of workplace resources .................................... 11 

Box 10: Tips & Tricks - Using low-cost tools to create workplace resources ........................................ 11 

Box 11: OSH Leadership and new OSH monitoring systems ............................................................... 13 

Box 12: Understanding workplace needs .............................................................................................. 14 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

1  Introduction 
This  implementation  guide  provides  practical  advice  to  employers  aiming  at  designing  workplace 
resources such as guidance documents (e.g. leaflets, posters, videos), training material and others 
to  support  the  introduction  and  deployment  of  smart  digital  systems  for  the  improvement  of 
occupational safety and  health (OSH) (e.g. wearables such as wristbands, clothing such as smart 
boots  and  smart  vests,  camera-based  systems).  Furthermore,  it  presents  a  number  of  cross-cutting 
issues and general considerations that can be useful to improve safety and health through smart digital 
systems.  

The implementation guide benefits from consultations with over 30 key stakeholders, including product 
manufacturers, developers, employers, workers, OSH professionals and trade unions across Europe 
and the world, as well as from a comparative analysis of real-world examples of workplace resources. 
These stakeholders have been part of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) 
project  Overview  of  research  and  practices  in  relation  to  smart  digital  monitoring  systems  for 
occupational safety and health from which this publication draws on.1,2  The examples analyzed  present 
actual workplace resources from product manufacturers of smart digital systems and OSH monitoring 
systems  and  employers  implementing  the  systems,  and  cover  a  wide  range  of  sectors,  including 
industrial  facilities  (e.g.  warehousing,  manufacturing,  retail),  construction,  engineering,  mining, 
agriculture, healthcare and others. 

The focus of the guide is to provide practical and useful tips on how organisations can either design or 
improve their workplace resources to support the introduction of smart digital systems.  

The implementation guide is structured as follows: 

▪  Section 2 provides contextual information on  smart digital systems. In particular, the section 
introduces smart digital systems as well as an overview of their technologies and the workplace 
risks that they can address. 

▪  Section 3 provides a list of good practice criteria that employers and companies can consider 
when designing workplace resources that can support the introduction of  smart systems. The 
section includes suggestions on how to apply these criteria, also using examples of workplace 
resources applied by employers and companies in the real world. 

▪  Section 4 provides a list of cross-cutting dimensions that can improve OSH at the workplace 
through smart digital systems. Cross-cutting dimensions include placing emphasis on  worker 
involvement, existing OSH procedures, providing on-the-job training, and maintaining an open 
channel  of  communication  between  workers  and  employers  and  OSH  professionals/team 
leaders. 

▪  Section 5 presents general considerations that employers and OSH professionals/team leaders 

can consider before introducing smart digital systems at the workplace.  

▪  Section 6 summarises the main conclusions of this guide. 

1 For more information (including a list of key informants (stakeholders) and resources), see: 

https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/smart-digital-monitoring-systems-occupational-safety-and-health-workplace-resources-
design-implementation-and-use  

2 See: https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/smart-digital-monitoring-systems-occupational-safety-and-health-uses-and-

challenges  

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

2  Overview  of  types  of  smart  digital  and  associated 

workplace resources 

This section provides an overview of smart digital systems for OSH and presents the types of workplace 
resources that can support their implementation.  

Smart digital OSH systems are those using digital technologies to collect and analyse data to identify 
and assess risks, prevent and/or minimise harm, and promote OSH.3 Often, these systems are based 
on  data  collection  devices,  such  as  sensors,  cameras,  microphones,  etc.,  which  transmits  data  via 
Bluetooth, radio-frequency identification or the Internet of things to a cloud platform. In the case of the 
latter, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms process data, translating them into 
usable information that businesses can use to prevent or react to risks.  

In  other  cases,  they  can  be  stand-alone  wearable  devices  such  as  exoskeletons,  or  embedded  in 
clothing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and industrial equipment (e.g. vehicles) or facilities (e.g. 
working space). Introducing such systems at the workplace can help employers augment their existing 
OSH procedures and improve the OSH of workers through numerous ways. In principle, the main ways 
in  which  these  systems  improve  OSH  are  through  providing  on-the-job  training  as  well  as  through 
preventing risks and reacting to them.4  

In terms of preventing risks, the systems can alert workers when they are performing a task (e.g. lifting 
a box) in a non-ergonomic or otherwise dangerous fashion and provide them with on-the-job training. In 
addition, they can send aggregate data to OSH team leaders and employers, helping them to identify 
the sources of the risks and (re)design their workplaces to manage them. In addition, such systems can 
also  react  to  risks.  For  example,  some  systems  collecting  geolocation  -  or  even  biometric-  data  can 
reduce the time of rescue operations in occupations with high OSH risk, such as mining and firefighting. 

Overall, smart digital systems can reduce a wide range of risks (see also Figure 1) in various sectors 
and especially those having a high OSH risk level. However, there are also challenges concerning data 
collection,  interpretation  and  use.  In  this  context  we  mention  specifically  challenges  related  to  the 
blurring boundaries between OSH and performance measurement. They must be handled with great 
care.5,6 The benefits and risks of the smart digital systems are described in more detail in the related 
EU-OSHA publications.7  

3  For  more  information,  see:  https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/smart-digital-monitoring-systems-occupational-safety-and-
health-uses-and-challenges  and: https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/smart-digital-monitoring-systems-occupational-safety-
and-health-workplace-resources-design-implementation-and-use  

4  For  more  information,  see:  https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/smart-digital-monitoring-systems-occupational-safety-and-

health-uses-and-challenges  

5 Ibid.  
6 For more information, see EU-OSHA’s (2022) workshop’s recording and presentations: New monitoring systems for improving 
https://www.euosha-

opportunities. 

challenges 

and 

and 

An 

of 

worker 
events.eu/Digitalisation/WS_OSH_Monitoring/#introduction  

overview 

health. 

safety 

7  For  more  information,  see:  https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/smart-digital-monitoring-systems-occupational-safety-and-

health-uses-and-challenges 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

Figure 1: Workplace risks8 

Ergonomic 
(repetitive movements, extreme postures) 

Chemical 
(inflammables, toxics, 
emissions) 

Workplaces can 
have several 
health risks 

Physical 
(extreme temperatures, noise, vibrations, 
radiation, lighting) 

Psychosocial 
(work-related stress, fatigue, anxiety) 

Safety 
(traffic-, work-, equipment-related) 

To  support  the  implementation  process  (i.e.  deployment)  of  smart  digital  systems,  employers  and 
companies can use a wide range of workplace resources. Workplace resources can include any type of 
product and activity that the product developers or the deployers (employers implementing the system) 
use to enable workers to successfully accomplish their tasks and goals while enhancing their safety9. 

These products to promote activities and awareness can be audio, visual or written documents, and the 
activities  can  be  in situ  or  online  trainings,  toolbox  talks  or  informal  briefings.  A  recent  EU-OSHA 
publication10 has made a critical appraisal of available workplace resources. Drawing on this publication, 
this implementation guide presents a number of ex-ante good practice criteria and in addition presents 
a  number  of  cross-cutting  issues  and  general  considerations  that  are  important  to  tap  into  the  full 
potential of these systems. These cross-cutting issues and general considerations show that the smart 
digital systems can augment but not replace existing OSH procedures, and that workplace resources 
are useful but not the only solution to effectively integrate such systems at the workplace. 

3  Criteria for developing workplace resources 

This section presents a number of ex-ante good practice criteria for employers and companies aiming 
to develop workplace resources to introduce smart digital systems at the workplace. Employers are not 
necessarily expected to produce one workplace resource covering all of the below criteria.  They can 
inform different workplace resources with these criteria, as appropriate.  

8 Figure based on information from: ILO. (2016). Code of practice. Safety and health in ports (Revised 2016). International 

Labour Office, p. 406. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---
sector/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_546257.pdf  

9 Based on information in: Rick, V. B., Rasche, P., Mertens, A., & Nitsch, V. (2022). Workplace Health Promotion: mHealth as a 
preventive mediator between psychosocial workplace characteristics and well-being at work. https://www.workingage.eu/wp-
content/uploads/2022/04/Rick-et-al.-2022-Workplace-Health-Promotion_mHealth-as-a-preventive-mediator-between-
psychosocial-workplace-characteristics-and-well-being-at-work.pdf 

10 EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Overview and assessment of workplace level resources, 2022. 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

NB:  the  workplace  resources  are  important  to  support  the  implementation  process  of  the  systems, 
however most important is to emphasize that workplace resources should ensure workers are involved 
and engaged from the beginning and during the implementation process, and not take over or substitute 
in any way worker participation. 

3.1  Keep it informative 

The  introduction  of  smart  digital  systems  for  OSH  at  the  workplace  is  relatively  new,  and  requires 
significant sharing of information between employers and workers to fully inform about their use. This 
information is covered in the sections below. 

3.1.1  Explain the workplace risks 

An important element that workplace resources can cover is the description of the risk that the  smart 
digital system is able to address. Generally, risks can relate to workers’ activity/task, equipment (e.g. a 
work  environment  (e.g.  site  layout)  and  work  organisation  (e.g.  work  in  shifts). 11  Box  1  provides 
information on examples of resources describing workplace risks.  

  Box 1: Tips & Tricks - Learning more about risks in specific sectors 

OiRA  –  Online  interactive  Risk  Assessment  –  is  a  web  platform  that  enables  the  creation  of  sectoral  risk 
assessment tools in a number of languages in an easy and standardised way. It is developed and maintained by 
the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and it is based on the Dutch risk assessment 
12 
instrument RI&E.  OiRA 

interactive  website.

accessible 

sectoral 

through 

tools 

are 

an 

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) codes of practices provide in detail a list with workplace risks 
across several sectors. Examples include: textiles, clothing, leather and footwear, shipbuilding and ship repair, 
ports,  agriculture,  opencast  and  underground  mines,  use  of  machinery.  For  more  information,  visit  ILO’s 
website.13 

  Box 2: Tips & Tricks - Learning more about risks  

EU-OSHA and OSH actors at national level such as ministries, labour inspectorates, institutes, 
universities,  prevention  services  etc.  can  also  provide  useful  information  in  relation  to 
workplace risks and ways in which companies can address these risks.  

Examples of EU-OSHA e-guides/e-tools on OSH management at the workplace include14: 

▪  Dangerous substances e-tool 
▪  E-guide on vehicle safety 
▪  E-guide on managing stress 

3.1.2  Explain the purpose and use of the system  

Explaining the purpose of smart digital systems, engaging  and involving workers in how the digital tool 
can be used to enhance OSH, is important for an effective implementation at the workplace.  

In principle, this should include workers in the testing, selection and optimisation of smart digital systems 
and  maintain  an  open  channel  with  them  to  listen  to  and  answer  potential  questions  around  these 
systems.  However,  workplace  resources,  for  example,  posters,  videos  or  presentations  that  help 
workers familiarise themselves with these systems, can also contribute. As shown in section 3.2 it is 

11  ILO.  (2016).  Code  of  practice.  Safety  and  health  in  ports  (Revised  2016).  International  Labour  Office,  p. 406.  

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---sector/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_546257.pdf    

12 https://oira.osha.europa.eu/en 
13 ILO. (n.d.). Code of Practice – Normative instruments https://www.ilo.org/ilo-codes-practice-and-guidance-

documents#:~:text=Codes%20of%20practice%20set%20out%20practical%20guidelines%20for,of%20national%20laws%20or
%20regulations%2C%20or%20accepted%20standards 

14 For more information on the e-tools/e-guides: https://osha.europa.eu/en/tools-and-resources/e-guides  

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

critical to keep these workplace resources simple and include a step-by-step instructions approach and 
visual cues. 

  Box  3:  Tips  &  Tricks  -  Using  videos  and  in  situ  briefings  to  explain  the  purpose  of  OSH  smart  digital   

systems 

While prior worker consultation and in situ briefings/presentations with OSH professionals are essential 
to help workers know and understand smart digital systems, short videos/posters can also be an effective way 
that can help with understanding. If you are looking for videos that can serve as sources of inspiration, you can 
see how: 

▪ 

▪ 

a  Swedish  developer  explains,  in  an  under-one-minute  video,  how  workers  can  use  its  new  OSH 
monitoring system to address site-traffic accidents;15 and  
a United Kingdom developer explains ergonomic risks, their potential causes, the purpose of its new 
OSH monitoring system and how workers can use it with a step-by-step guide: all in a three-minute 
video.16 

3.1.3  Explain use of data 

Our research suggests that there are several ways to address concerns around the misuse of personal 
data at the workplace which is a continued concern among workers.17 It is important to address these 
issues to avoid misunderstandings and ensure a level of trust in these systems. This includes explaining 
at a minimum the elements shown in Figure 3. 

  Box 4: Common questions around data 

▪  What is the purpose of data collection? 
▪  What kind of data are collected (e.g. movement, biometric)? 
▪  How will the employer and company use the data?  
▪  Who has access to the data? 
▪  How will the data be stored and what provisions are in place to keep them safe? (if 

any)  

▪  Are there any (negative) implications for the worker? 

An example of how you can go about explaining issues around data is shown in Box 5. 

  Box 5: Tips & Tricks - Addressing considerations around the use of data: an example from Sweden 

Tripartite involvement remains the most effective way to address issues in relation to data. 

A Swedish mining company using smart digital system records all the data on a hard drive 
owned  and  accessed  only  by  the  workers’  union.  In  exceptional  circumstances  (e.g. 
accidents), geolocation data are also available to other parties (e.g. rescue teams) in order to 
trace workers and improve the operation rescue time. 

▪  Even when there is no legal obligation for prior worker consultation, there is strong 
evidence from both employers and product manufacturers that such consultation is 
essential  for  the  successful  introduction  of  smart  digital  tools  and  new  OSH 
monitoring systems. 

▪  Often, employers can opt for OSH monitoring tools with no personal identifiers, which 

can address considerations around the use of data. 

15 To access the source, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMbphhyvr0Y  
16 To access the source, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrX8-oJhQzc    
17 EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Overview and assessment of workplace level resources, 2022.  

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

3.1.4  List responsibilities 

Clarifying process and responsibilities for OSH at the workplace is another piece of the puzzle when it 
comes to introducing smart digital systems at the workplace. Clarity on responsibilities and management 
is relevant for both workers and employers. Workers need to know their rights and obligations in relation 
to  OSH  as  well  as  the  persons  within  their  organisation  who  they  can  reach  out  to  in  case  they 
experience issues with the smart digital tool or OSH monitoring systems. Employers must know their 
legal  obligations  towards  the  OSH  of  workers  and  ensure  that  smart  digital  tools  cannot  be  used  to 
delegate their responsibilities to the system.18  

  Box 6: Tips & Tricks - Including and updating a FAQ section in workplace resources 

Including a FAQ section in workplace resources can serve as a useful point of reference that 
can help workers find answers to the most common questions. Remember: keeping the FAQ 
section  relevant  is  equally  important,  so  make  sure  to  consult  workers  and/or  product 
manufacturers at regular intervals to update the FAQ. 

3.1.5  Make limitations clear 

Smart digital systems often come with inherent limitations. Listing these limitations is important to keep 
workers vigilant and avoid the misuse of these systems, which can have the opposite, that is, negative, 
effects for OSH. Employers should not discount their standard OSH procedures but rather use the smart 
digital tools and OSH monitoring systems to augment them.  

  Box 7: How can smart digital systems cause harm? A potencial example 

Introducing  smart  digital  systems  at  the  workplace  can  have  negative  implications  if  the 
limitations  of  these  systems  are  not  made  clear  to  the  workers.  For  example,  a  major 
chemicals company that has introduced a  smart OSH monitoring system that warns forklift 
drivers  when  fellow  workers  are  in  their  proximity  stressed  how  important  it  is  that  drivers 
remain  vigilant.  This  is  because  the  system  is  based  on  an  infrared  camera  that  uses  the 
reflective properties of workers’ vests in order to warn the forklift drivers. Therefore, in cases 
where workers might hold a box that covers these reflective properties, the system might not 
work. Similar examples exist in many smart digital systems. Therefore, it is important to list 
them in order to ensure that workers tap the full potential of new systems and do not over-rely 
on them. 

3.1.6  Keep it short and simple  

Keeping workplace resources short and simple is the common standard across all industries. Often, a 
simple poster or a video including step-by-step guides and visual cues can be very effective in helping 
workers understand how to use (and not use) smart digital tools and OSH monitoring systems.  

Making  a  workplace  resource  short  and  simple  aims  at  making  it  easily  understandable.  This  is 
particularly important as some systems might be complex. On these occasions, the complex information 
can be considered to be mainly for OSH managers or e.g. IT departments and develop direct information 
for workers using these systems day to day.  

Equally, it is necessary to consider language requirements. For example, in construction sites including 
workers  from  multiple  nationalities,  translating  resources  into  different  languages  is  essential  to  help 
everyone  understand  OSH  procedures.  While  making  workplace  resources  short  and  simple  is 

18 For  issues  around  workers’  and  employers’  responsibilities  in  relation  to  safety  and  health,  see  also:  Council  Directive 
89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers 
at work https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A31989L0391  

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

important,  for  OSH  professionals  or  technical  staff,  technical  documents  (e.g.  in  relation  to  data 
collection, storage and interpretation) can be more elaborate.  

   Box 8: Tips & Tricks - Using behavioural science to promote OSH 

Did  you  know  that  behavioural  science  can  help  you  shape  your  workplace  resources  and 
achieve safer behaviour at your workplace? All you need to do is to go EAST (Easy, Attractive, 
Social,  Timely).  Learn  more  in  the  short  guide  of  the  Behavioural  Insights  Team:  Applying 
behavioural insights to make workplaces safer.19  

3.2  Make it relatable  

Making resources relatable to workers can help them to act on the information that is available in these 
resources.  This  points  to  the  importance  of  involving  workers  in  the  design  of  workplace  resources 
and/or seeking their feedback to optimise existing workplace resources. There are several ways through 
which companies can work in this direction. An example is shown in Box 9. 

  Box 9: Tips & Tricks - Involving workers in the design of workplace resources 

▪  Seize  opportunities  such  as  the  World  Day  for  Safety  and  Health  at  Work  to  bring 
workers  together  and  engage  them  in  co-creation  exercises  in  order  to  design 
workplace materials fitting their needs. 

▪  Consider using videos from the actual workplace to probe discussion on safety issues. 
For example, if you work at an industrial facility (e.g.  warehousing, manufacturing, 
retail),  consider using short  videos  from  the  actual  facility  (e.g.  explaining the most 
important risks in relation to internal transportation). Then, use this video to probe a 
discussion  on  how  risks  affect  your  team  and  to  identify  what  other  risks  might  be 
present and what measures you can take to manage them. 

Another way to make resources relatable is to feature the company’s own workers on them.  

3.3  Use a multimedia strategy 

A final tip when it comes to introducing smart digital systems, and more broadly, OSH measures, is to 
follow  a  multimedia  strategy.  In  practice,  this  means  using  different  types  of  workplace  resources 
(posters, videos, case studies) to inform workers about how they should use these systems and treat 
OSH  at  work.  Considering  a  mix  of  online  and  print  resources  can  also  be  useful  as  despite  the 
increasing use of online media, workers in some sectors might still favour print resources. Some tips on 
how you can create your own resources, with relatively limited to no costs, are shown in Box 10. 

  Box 10: Tips & Tricks - Using low-cost tools to create workplace resources 

There are a number of open source or otherwise low-cost tools that can help you co-create and design workplace 
resources even if your budget and graphics (design) knowledge is limited. Some suggestions are available below: 

▪  For co-creating workplace resources with workers: 

o  Mentimeter 
o  Miro 

▪  For creating workplace resources: 

o  Canva 
o  Flaticon 

19 Kolker, E., Algate, F., & Tilleard, R. (2019). EAST for Health & Safety. Applying behavioural insights to make workplaces safer. 
Insights  Team.  https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-09-30-BIT_EAST-for-Safety_Full-

The  Behavioural 
Report.pdf  

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

4  Cross-cutting dimensions 

It is important to note that workplace resources should be seen as a piece of the puzzle, but not the 
complete  solution  to  effectively  deploy  smart  digital  tools  or  new  OSH  monitoring  system.  For  this, 
employers and companies should take into account several other dimensions. First of all, in every stage 
from the design to the implementation worker involvement should be first priority, sharing and receiving 
information.  This  section  describes  these  issues  and  explains  why  they  are  important  in  terms  of 
improving OSH at the workplace. 

4.1  Place emphasis on existing OSH procedures 

Smart  digital  systems  can  augment  but  not  replace  existing  OSH  procedures.  This  is  important  as 
introducing such systems to replace existing OSH procedures or to reduce OSH professionals or other 
staff is likely to have negative implications for the OSH of workers. In such scenarios, a risk assessment 
procedure should be initiated.  

For example, while in theory a smart system could reduce the need for a companion or an additional 
worker in a high-OSH-risk task, but in practice letting a single worker perform such a task might have 
side effects on their psychosocial wellbeing. Therefore, it is important to consider the net effect when it 
comes to OSH. Equally, it is important to reiterate that employers and workers should not be over-reliant 
on the systems as these often have limitations (e.g. in relation to technology), and neglecting those can 
have negative implications for OSH. For example, it should be clear to workers using exoskeletons that 
despite improving productivity, the main purpose of these exoskeletons is to improve OSH. Therefore, 
using these systems to improve throughput might still cause injuries.  

Recent  evidence  from  companies  and  product  manufacturers  corroborates  the  above  principle  and 
suggests that companies having robust OSH procedures and placing emphasis on OSH are more likely 
to  effectively  integrate  smart  digital  systems  or  new  OSH  monitoring  systems  at  the  workplace  than 
companies that do not. In this context, it is advisable  to have in place an OSH  management system 
based on the hierarchy of controls and maintain your OSH competences on the ground.  

Figure 2: Hierarchy of controls20 

20 Adapted from: ILO. (2021). Exposure to hazardous chemicals at work and resulting health impacts: A global review. 

International Labour Office, p. 69. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---
lab_admin/documents/publication/wcms_811455.pdf 

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4.2  Promote on-the-job training 

Some smart digital tools for OSH monitoring provide on-the-job training to workers. As mentioned earlier, 
some of these systems can inform workers when they are performing a task in a harmful way and provide 
them  with  feedback  on  how  to  improve  task  performance.  Combining  on-the-job  training  from  such 
systems  with  training  from  OSH  professionals  or  product  manufacturers  on  the  ground  can  be  an 
effective  way to reduce workplace risks. A testimonial from a worker in a  logistics company in North 
America using a smart digital system providing on-the-job training is shown below: 

“When I’m lifting wrong, it lets me know. The first day I had the device it was just 
barking at me all day long. After two weeks, it was all good — I got better at 
lifting packages and I rarely see the sensor flash or feel it vibrate anymore. But 
when it does, I pay attention to what I am doing”.  

On-the-job  training  can  be  particularly  effective  in  reducing  risks  at  the  workplace,  with  several 
manufacturers of the new systems showing through case studies the potential positive effects of such 
training across a wide range of sectors, including industrial facilities (e.g. warehousing, manufacturing, 
retail),  construction,  engineering,  health  and  others.  Often,  such  systems  can  personalise  training 
depending on the users’ characteristics (height, weight, age and others).  

Overall, while it is useful to take case studies with a certain degree of circumspection, as they are often 
related to marketing purposes, they can still be a source of information around the potential of  smart 
digital systems across real-world companies in a wide range of sectors.  

Generating  insights  from  smart  systems  can  also  help  OSH  professionals  to  better  understand 
workplace risks and optimise the workplace or perform on-the-job trainings to reduce these risks. 

4.3  Go for the walks and the talks 

Maintaining an open channel of communication between employers, OSH professionals and workers is 
perhaps the most effective way of  integrating  smart digital  systems at the workplace. This  has  been 
reaffirmed  by  product  manufacturers  and  employers,  who  suggested  that  companies  having  OSH 
professionals on the ground working together with workers are more likely to effectively implement new 
OSH monitoring systems at the workplace. For example, an OSH manager in a high OSH risk sector 
said: 

“I think that the best way of integrating new OSH monitoring systems at the 
workplace is actually doing the walks and the talks on the premises. Talking to 
workers and giving good and bad examples. In small facilities, it’s easy to just 
collect everyone, have a talk and discuss problems”. 

  Box 11: OSH Leadership and new OSH monitoring systems 

Next  to  maintaining  an  open  channel  of  communication  between  workers  and  OSH 
professionals on the ground, it is important to provide clear steering and direct communication 
from the OSH leadership for all issues that are critical for OSH. 

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Another OSH manager in a high OSH risk sector noted: 

“If it is something that you really want workers to take action on, then they need to 
be addressed personally. And in those cases, we would go to the teams at stake, 
and make sure that we communicate directly with them, ask them for feedback, 
and make sure that they really understand the OSH procedure … Depending on 
the topic, you need to make sure that you have direct communication and make 
sure that everyone understands the [OSH] procedures”. 

In companies with plants in multiple locations, establishing a learning mechanism (e.g. peer learning 
including  OSH  managers  and/or  workers  across  plants)  can  also  help  to  effectively  integrate  smart 
digital tools and OSH monitoring systems at the workplace and reduce risks.21 

5  General considerations on smart digital systems 

This  section  lists  cross-cutting  general  principles  that  companies  should  take  into  account  before 
introducing smart digital system for OSH at the workplace. 

5.1  Understand workplace needs 

The  first  criterion  before  employers  start  introducing  a  smart  digital  system  at  the  workplace  is 
understanding workplace needs. What are the main safety issues that need to be addressed and what 
measures are available to address them? The first step to answer this question would be to involve both 
workers and OSH professionals in discussing risks and mitigation measures following the principles of 
the hierarchy of controls. 

Taking on board workers’ and OSH professionals’ views can help you decide if a new system can reduce 
risks. However, it is important to manage expectations as to what these systems can and cannot do as 
a single system cannot provide the solutions to multiple OSH risks. Here, it is also important to note that 
on some  occasions,  smart  digital  systems might cause unintended risks that can be more difficult to 
solve than the risks they intended to address. For example, an exoskeleton that is difficult to dismount 
might cause a risk in a case where an evacuation of plant facilities is necessary. Therefore, a careful 
consideration of such unintended risks is important.  

Deciding  which  smart  digital  system  is  appropriate  for  a  company  can  be  a  challenging  task  for  an 
employer. However, developers have the availability of case examples from existing applications, while 
they often offer trial periods. In these,  developers can effectively support the implementation through 
in situ visits and training. In these trainings, you can identify issues and optimise the performance of the 
system. 

  Box 12: Understanding workplace needs 

When thinking about OSH, it is important to keep in mind the hierarchy of controls as often 
risks can be eliminated at an early stage. 

▪  Simulators  of  human  tasks  can  help  to  perform  ergonomic  evaluation  of  a  task 

▪ 

sequence as well as to validate and optimise assembly sequences 
In a similar fashion, smart digital systems can give you insights on where risks are likely 
to occur, so that you can optimise your workplace layout. 

5.2  Appreciate socio-cultural and work context 

Understanding  the  socio-cultural  and  the  broader  work  context  is  also  important  to  consider  when 
introducing a smart digital tool and OSH monitoring system at the workplace.  

21 Information based on stakeholder consultation. 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

Socio-cultural  differences  exist  between  but  also  within  countries  and  sectors.  For  example,  a  key 
informant stated that ‘old workforce (in the shipping sector) has done things a certain way for a long 
period of time, and despite the logic of new additions in relation to OSH it is likely to go back to what it 
always did.’ Consequently, in some sectors there might be a risk of non-compliance. Similarly, workers 
in  some  sectors  might  feel  that  smart  digital  tools  or  systems  slow  them  down  or  cause  discomfort. 
Therefore, there is a risk of non-compliance. Finally, workers might also be resistant to use such systems 
for other reasons, including religious or cultural ones (e.g. workers might be resistant to having their 
beard trimmed to wear a respirator).22  

Overall,  considering  the  socio-cultural  and  work  context  through  having  discussions  at  sectoral  or 
company level is key. Here, useful advice is to embed the safety in job duties as opposed to having job 
duties and then safety. In other words, there is a need to shift the mindset of workers towards making 
safety and health part of the job. 

5.3  Place workers at the centre of the process 

The research suggests that to effectively  deploy and integrate smart digital systems at the workplace 
for OSH, workers should be placed at the centre of the process. Some ways to involve workers is having 
them  test,  select  and  optimise  the  systems,  co-create  workplace  resources,  and  discuss  with  OSH 
professionals’  potential  safety  or  health  issues.  Both  developers  and  employers  implementing  smart 
digital  systems  consulted  have  corroborated  this  argument  and  strongly  suggested  that  top-down 
solutions are less likely to be effective on the ground.  

A good case example comes from a Swedish mining company that placed in common spaces such as 
canteens and coffee areas the equipment, so that workers can test them, provide feedback and act as 
their ambassadors. This is important, as having systems for workers without workers can lead to limited 
acceptance, as well as produce no or reverse effects for OSH. Last, but not least, it is important to act 
on the information from the smart systems, and, as reiterated before, integrate them in a holistic OSH 
management plan. One of the analyzed examples showed  how to  A useful way to help to get a full 
overview of the risks at your workplace by including an aggregate score of risk levels. 

6  Conclusion: Towards a healthier and safer workplace 

This implementation guide maintains that in order to effectively integrate smart digital systems for OSH 
at the workplace, there are three important elements to consider, as shown below: 

22 Based on interview data. 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

Table 1: Summary of key messages 

Puzzle pieces to integrate smart digital tools and OSH monitoring systems 

Workplace 
resources 

Cross-cutting 
issues 

General 
considerations 

▪  Workplace resources need to be informative, short and simple, and relatable. 
▪  There are several low- to no-cost resources that can help you design resources. 
▪  Consider co-creating resources with your workers. 
▪  Consider a multimedia strategy (posters, videos, in situ trainings). 

▪  Do not neglect existing OSH procedures. Often, these can be in themselves 

enough to eliminate risks at the workplace. 
▪  On-the-job training is important to reduce risks. 
▪  Maintain an open channel and nurture shared learning with workers. 
▪  Consider initiating/engaging in cross-company or cross-sectoral peer learning 

activities. 

▪  Understand what the real needs are at your workplace, involve workers  and 
manage your expectations as to what a new system can help you achieve. 
▪  Appreciate  cultural  or  other  types  of  specificities  at  the  workplace  to  ensure 

acceptance. 

▪  Keep workers as users of the system alert about OSH risks, as over-reliance 
on new OSH monitoring systems can result in unintended consequences. 
▪  Place workers at the heart of the process through involving them in testing, 
selecting and optimising new OSH monitoring systems, co-creating workplace 
resources,  and  discussing  with  OSH  professionals’  potential  issues  affecting 
safety and health. 

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Smart digital systems: implementation guide for improving workers’ safety and health 

The European Agency for Safety and 

Health at Work (EU-OSHA) contributes to 

making Europe a safer, healthier and more 

productive place to work. The Agency 

researches, develops, and distributes 

reliable, balanced, and impartial safety and 

health information and organises pan-

European awareness raising campaigns. Set 

up by the European Union in 1994 and 

based in Bilbao, Spain, the Agency brings 

together representatives from the European 

Commission, Member State governments, 

and employers’ and workers’ organisations, 

as well as leading experts in each of the EU 

Member States and beyond. 

European Agency 
for Safety and Health at Work  

Santiago de Compostela 12 

48003 Bilbao, Spain 

E-mail: information@osha.europa.eu 

https://osha.europa.eu 

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – EU-OSHA 

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