IT & telecoms lead Australia in digital workplace safety

Australia's IT and telecommunications sector has emerged as the country's strongest performer on digital safety maturity. Workers reported higher trust in safety systems, stronger incident follow-through, and limited reliance on paper-based processes.

These findings come from an Australian workplace safety market study commissioned by Rapid Global and conducted by Research Without Barriers. The survey covered more than 1,000 Australian safety managers, workers, and contractors across several high-risk industries, including IT and telecoms.

Results point to more consistent reporting and corrective action than in other sectors covered. Only 9 per cent of IT and telecoms workers said they had seen incidents or near-misses go unreported. More than half (53 per cent) said every reported incident results in corrective action.

Workers also described a stronger day-to-day safety culture. Sixty-six per cent said everyone always takes safety very seriously.

Less Paperwork

The study suggests digital adoption in IT and telecoms has shifted routine safety workflows away from manual methods. Only 16 per cent of workers said they rely on manual approaches for safety tasks.

Ease of use appears as important as access to software. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) said their safety software is simple to understand and use.

Even in a digitally mature sector, tool sprawl remains a concern. More than a third (38 per cent) said they would prefer all safety tasks to sit in a single system or app.

For organisations that have already invested in digital safety, consolidation is a practical issue. Multiple systems can increase administrative work and create gaps between teams and sites, reducing consistency in reporting and follow-up when different groups use different tools.

AI Interest

The survey found relatively strong interest in AI and robotics for safety management in IT and telecoms. Almost half of workers (47 per cent) said they believe AI and robotics will transform safety management within five years.

Linking identity and training records to site controls also rated highly. A majority (53 per cent) said connecting induction data to site access improves safety.

The study also points to a perception gap between workers and managers on AI uptake. In IT and telecoms, 38 per cent of workers said they are more open to using AI than managers realise.

Rapid Global framed the results as evidence that digital workflows can improve operations when paired with strong cultural adherence. They also highlight ongoing tension in safety management between technology investment and day-to-day adoption on site.

Culture And Trust

Professor Dr Andrew Sharman, CEO of the International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture, linked the results to broader patterns in workplace safety performance.

"Safety is often well documented, yet not consistently felt by people on the ground," said Professor Dr Andrew Sharman, CEO, International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture.

"Bridging the gap between policy and practice is less about systems alone and much more about leadership. Trust is the critical differentiator," said Sharman.

The report's emphasis on trust aligns with measures of execution. Low levels of unreported incidents and higher corrective-action rates suggest workers see value in raising issues and expect the organisation to act.

Ezequiel Gonzalez, Head of Revenue at Rapid Global, argued that rising complexity can increase safety risk even when organisations invest heavily in compliance processes.

"Australia has made significant progress in workplace safety, but complacency remains," said Ezequiel Gonzalez, Head of Revenue, Rapid Global.

"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," said Gonzalez.

Across the wider survey, safety improvement appears to correlate less with the number of tools an organisation deploys and more with how well it reduces friction in everyday processes. The report also highlights automation and enforcement as levers to reduce variability in how safety rules are applied.

For IT and telecoms leaders, the results outline a roadmap focused on consolidation and greater use of automation. Other industries in the study appear earlier in this transition, with heavier reliance on manual processes and less confidence that reporting leads to corrective action.

The survey suggests IT and telecoms will remain a test case for how Australian workplaces integrate AI-based approaches into safety management. Worker expectations are moving beyond digitisation towards fewer systems and more connected controls.