palletcentral

38 Pallet C e nt ral • July -Aug u st 2 0 25 OSHA BY ADELE L. ABRAMS, ESQ., ASP, CMSP ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) & ENHANCED WORKPLACE SAFETY W hat is artificial intelligence (AI) and how does it relate to occupational health and safety (OHS)? It seems everyone knows about AI but no one is entirely sure about how to define it or what it can do . . . and where ethical boundaries exist. Is AI simply a harmless "Google on steroids," or are we living in the prequel of The Terminator? Whatever your view of AI, it is increasingly inescapable in workplaces worldwide. What separates AI from old-school computer programs is its ability to learn, adapt, and respond with some degree of autonomy. When AI seems frightening as a concept, remember that we have been relying on AI for everything from autocorrect on our smartphones to GPS in our vehicles for years now. Although there are reasons to be cautious about hasty adoption of AI in the workplace, from the vantage point of occupational safety, the benefits seem to outweigh the risks. AI can certainly enhance OHS practices in numerous ways, such as the following: • Real-time monitoring and hazard detection: AI technologies with machine learning programs can monitor safety data in real time and even identify potential hazards before they lead to accidents! Drones can be used to monitor worker behavior, including the use of personal protective equipment and deviations from standard operating procedures. • Predictive analy tics for risk assessment: AI's ability to analyze large datasets gives it predictive strength in hazard identification and mitigation. • Behav ior recognition and inter vention: AI can detect when workers deviate from safety

• Cover