- IT and telecoms sector leads digital safety maturity in Australia, with 66% of workers believing safety is taken seriously and 53% reporting all incidents result in corrective actions
- Only 16% of workers in the sector rely on manual safety methods, with 63% finding their safety software easy to use
- 47% of workers believe AI and robotics will transform safety management within five years, showing strong appetite for technological advancement
- 38% of workers prefer consolidated safety systems with all tasks in one platform rather than multiple tools
- Trust is identified as a critical differentiator in safety outcomes, with the sector showing strong cultural foundations for future safety innovations
IT and telecoms set the benchmark for digital safety maturity in Australia, with strong trust in systems, high follow-through on incidents and minimal reliance on paper.
The Australian Workplace Safety Market Research Report, commissioned by Rapid Global and conducted by Research Without Barriers, surveyed more than 1,000 Australian safety managers, workers and contractors across high-risk industries, including IT & Telecoms.
IT and telecoms emerge as the most digitally mature and safety-confident industry in the research. Workers report clear processes, strong follow-through, and high trust, with just 9 per cent having seen incidents or near-misses go unreported, and 53 per cent of workers say all reported incidents result in corrective actions. Sixty-six per cent of workers believe that everyone always takes safety very seriously.
Paper has largely disappeared from safety workflows. Only 16 per cent of workers rely on manual methods for safety tasks, and 63 per cent say their safety software is simple to understand and use. Rather than more tools, workers want consolidation, with more than a third of workers, 38 per cent, preferring all safety tasks in one system or app.
This sector also shows the strongest appetite for AI. Almost half, 47 per cent, of workers believe AI and robotics will transform safety management within five years, and 53 per cent believe linking induction data to site access improves safety. With cultural foundations already in place, IT and telecoms are positioned to lead the shift toward intelligent, automated safety management, with 38 per cent of workers saying they are more open to using AI than managers realise.
Professor Dr Andrew Sharman, a global authority on safety culture and CEO of the International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture, says the findings reflect a familiar pattern seen repeatedly across global workplaces. “Safety is often well documented, yet not consistently felt by people on the ground,” he says. “Bridging the gap between policy and practice is less about systems alone and much more about leadership. Trust is the critical differentiator.”
The findings, according to Ezequiel Gonzalez, Head of Revenue at Rapid Global, demonstrate that complexity, rather than intent, increasingly shapes safety risk. "Australia has made significant progress in workplace safety, but complacency remains," he asserts. "Complex, high-risk environments require more than simply checking boxes. Technology should not replace human judgement but make it sharper. When systems are easier to use and data is easier to act on, safer outcomes follow.”
According to the research, the organisations most likely to improve safety outcomes are not those modernising with the most tools but those reducing friction, automating enforcement, and making safe behaviour the easiest option for day-to-day reality on site.
With cultural foundations already in place, IT and telecoms leaders are now positioned to lead the next evolution of safety by consolidating systems and adopting intelligent, AI-enabled controls that other sectors are only beginning to explore.
To access the report, please visit: https://rapidglobal.com/lp/au-market-research/
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About Rapid Global
Rapid Global is an Australian AI-powered platform transforming workplace safety and compliance, with more than 7m users worldwide. Trusted by leading global companies, Rapid brings together more than 20 years of industry experience to deliver a smarter, more proactive approach to managing safety. From contractor pre-qualification and online inductions to visitor management, site access control, audits, AI-enabled camera monitoring, and incident reporting, Rapid gives organisations one connected platform to keep people safe and workplaces compliant. https://rapidglobal.com/
Contact details:
Louise Nealon, PR With Purpose, louise@prwithpurpose.com.au, 0403 569177