A report from Persistence Market Research looks at the number of ways occupational health and safety is changing around the world.

The research found that the global workplace safety systems market is undergoing a major transformation as organisations increasingly prioritise worker protection, regulatory compliance, and uninterrupted operations.

Rising incidences of workplace hazards, coupled with stricter safety regulations and growing awareness of employee well-being, are driving widespread adoption across sectors such as manufacturing, construction, energy, and healthcare.

According to Persistence Market Research, advanced safety technologies, which are ranging from fire suppression and gas detection to PPE monitoring and machine guarding, are now essential to modern industrial operations.

Among the fastest-growing segments are real-time monitoring systems and smart PPE, powered by AI and IoT. These innovations enable proactive risk detection and real-time compliance monitoring, reducing the likelihood of accidents and improving response times.

Europe trends

North America currently leads the global market, thanks to early adoption of advanced safety solutions and a robust regulatory environment, particularly under OSHA. However, Europe also holds a strong position, backed by EU-wide directives and investment in Industry 4.0.

Recently, a groundbreaking report from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) has, for the first time, put a price tag on the economic toll of work-related stress across the European Union, estimating it at over €100bn (US$105bn) annually.

The study, titled 'Work-related stress and cardiovascular diseases', highlights the staggering financial and human costs of workplace stress, linking it to cardiovascular diseases and mental health disorders like depression.

The ETUI report reveals that work-related stress contributes significantly to cardiovascular diseases, which account for a substantial portion of the €100 billion cost. These expenses stem from healthcare costs, lost productivity, and absenteeism due to stress-induced illnesses. The study also underscores the mental health impact, with depression caused by workplace stress adding to the economic strain.

Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is emerging as the fastest-growing region, propelled by rapid industrialisation, large-scale construction, and evolving government safety mandates in countries like China, India, and Japan.

Markets in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are also expanding as awareness and enforcement of workplace safety continue to improve.

The adoption of technologies such as AI, wearable devices, cloud-based platforms, and smart analytics is reshaping how organisations manage safety. These tools offer real-time insights and predictive capabilities that turn reactive models into proactive strategies.

Wearable tech like smart vests and helmets with biometric sensors is enabling continuous health and hazard monitoring on the job.

However, challenges remain. High implementation costs, integration issues with legacy infrastructure, and concerns over data privacy, particularly with surveillance and wearables, can impede adoption.

Additionally, the lack of global standardisation complicates cross-border implementation.

Despite these hurdles, opportunities abound. Safety-as-a-service (SaaS) models are making cutting-edge solutions more accessible to smaller firms.

Digitisation, supported by cloud computing and data analytics, is enabling scalable, cost-efficient safety management systems.

As more regions develop formal safety mandates and the industrial sector modernises, the global workplace safety systems market is set for sustained growth, playing a crucial role in shaping the future of safe, efficient work environments.

Qatar’s Ministry of Labour, through its Occupational Safety and Health Department, has partnered with the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund to launch the “Heat Stress Awareness Corner” in the Asian City and Industrial Area.

The initiative is part of a broader national effort to safeguard workers from the health risks posed by high temperatures during the summer season.

With a strong focus on outdoor labour sectors, the initiative reinforces the Ministry’s commitment to on-site education and the prevention of heat-related illnesses.

By delivering clear, multilingual safety guidance and practical tips, the Awareness Corner is designed to help workers recognise the dangers of heat stress and adopt preventive measures.

The Ministry highlighted the importance of direct engagement and collaboration with key partners to reach workers where they live and work.

Communication materials are offered in multiple languages to ensure accessibility and understanding across Qatar’s diverse workforce.

Workers are being urged to stay hydrated, take regular breaks, and seek medical help promptly if symptoms of heat stress appear, actions that are vital to preserving their health and wellbeing throughout the summer.

The Ministry of Labour and WSIF also partnered with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to launch a nationwide heat awareness campaign and promote preventive measures during Qatar’s peak summer months.

Once again led by the Ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health Department, the campaign is directed at workers across high-risk sectors where prolonged exposure to heat can cause serious health problems. It underscores the government’s continued efforts to strengthen worker protection and promote safer working conditions through multi-agency collaboration.

A key focus of the campaign is educating workers to recognise early symptoms of heat stress such as dizziness, headache, excessive or absent sweating, fatigue, and loss of consciousness, and how to respond appropriately. 

Ministry and healthcare experts participating in the campaign stressed the life-saving potential of these simple measures and the importance of prevention over reaction.

Employers are being urged to play a proactive role by delivering annual training on heat stress before summer, providing ample cold drinking water, creating shaded rest areas with ventilation, conducting medical check-ups, and collaborating with workers to assess risks.

This initiative is part of a wider series of safety campaigns spearheaded by the Ministry to foster a culture of occupational health, reduce risk in extreme conditions, and protect worker wellbeing, ensuring both resilience and productivity across sectors.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a global marine environmental consultancy, has enhanced its disaster response capabilities with the addition of the WingtraOne GEN II unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to its uncrewed systems fleet.

Designed for rapid post-disaster assessments, the new UAV complements CSA’s existing suite of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), enabling the firm to efficiently evaluate storm-impacted infrastructure across inland, coastal, and offshore locations.

The WingtraOne GEN II features vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), allowing it to operate in confined or debris-covered areas. Capable of surveying up to 310 hectares in under 50 minutes, the UAV significantly accelerates damage assessment timelines. With an IP54 rating and resilience in sustained winds up to 27 mph, the platform supports various payloads, including RGB, LiDAR, and multispectral sensors, tailored to the assessment’s scope.

This airborne capability complements CSA’s SeaRobotics-built USV fleet, which includes 1.8-m to 11.0-m vessels equipped with modular sensor arrays for hydrographic mapping, submerged debris detection, and waterway navigability assessment, especially in conditions hazardous to crewed operations.

In anticipation of heightened tropical activity in the Atlantic Basin, CSA is actively coordinating with FEMA, state emergency agencies, utility providers, and insurers to prepare for rapid response. Its Crisis Management Team offers a 24/7 hotline for clients and partners, enabling immediate incident registration and deployment of tailored response teams.

“In the critical hours following hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters, rapid situational awareness is essential,” said Chris Echols, CSA’s vice president of commercial operations and Geomatics Lead. “By deploying autonomous craft rather than personnel in potentially hazardous environments, we can safely and efficiently deliver precise images and data from above, on, and below the water that allow response teams to prioritise the most appropriate action plan. Our latest acquisition, the WingtraOne GEN II UAV, brings a new dynamic to our time-sensitive surveying capabilities, delivering high-resolution aerial maps, 3D models, and orthomosaics with ultra-precise accuracy—as tight as 1 cm with Post-Processed Kinematic (PKK).”

“Our mission is simple: to deliver clarity, speed, and safety when it matters most,” added Echols. “By integrating surface and subsurface data, CSA is now able to deliver an unparalleled understanding of the post-disaster landscape, enhancing decision-making for emergency managers, FEMA units, insurers, and infrastructure providers, all while keeping personnel out of harm’s way in often dangerous and unpredictable environments.

“All CSA’s disaster response technologies are engineered to minimise risk to personnel while accelerating the delivery of actionable insights. Whether scanning rooftops for insurance assessments, identifying structural collapse, or guaranteeing safe maritime navigation, CSA’s disaster response service is designed to optimise survey time, streamline overheads, and increase operational confidence.”