After several industry experts, the Health and Safety Executive and MSA Safety united for a roundtable around workplace safety, the organisation has produced a follow-up whitepaper to address the stagnation in workplace accident and fatality figures

The roundtable centred around the statistic that 138 people lost their lives in workplace accidents in 2024—a figure which remains comparable to 2018/19 figures and defies ambition to reduce the risk of workplace incidents. 36% of those fatalities were due to falls from height.

Emphasising clear communication, safety education and PPE, the whitepaper identifies key improvement areas and barriers to improving workplace incident statistics and worker safety. Some of those barriers included human nature and poor equipment design.

Jason Anker, a safety advocate who suffered from a life-changing fall, was on the panel. He emphasised how a holistic safety culture must be cultivated, especially when working at height, to create meaningful improvements.

MSA Safety has published the full whitepaper and panel discussion on its site.

A recent report by Grand View Research on the Saudi Arabia workplace safety market highlights a number of growth areas, with the market forecast to increase by a CAGR of 19.1% from 2025 to 2030

The personal protective equipment (PPE) segment accounted for a revenue share of over 51.0% of the workplace safety market in 2024, according to the report, and is set to grow further. The construction boom in Saudi Arabia, driven by Vision 2030 giga-projects such as NEOM, Red Sea Project, and Qiddiya, is boosting the demand for helmets, gloves, harnesses, and high-visibility clothing to protect workers from falls, dropped objects and falling debris, and accidents. While demand is high in the buoyant oil and gas sector for flame-resistant (FR) suits, respirators, and protective eyewear to protect workers from fires, toxic gases, and chemicals, with high-quality PPE mandated by Aramco and government regulations.

Also forecast to grow strongly is the workplace safety services segment, as Saudi companies invest in comprehensive training programmes, behaviour-based safety initiatives, and thorough incident investigations to foster a proactive safety culture. Rising insurance costs and legal liabilities are accelerating the demand for professional safety consulting, risk assessments and compliance solutions.

With smart safety solutions in construction and industrial zones mandated under Vision 2030 and Saudi OSH regulations, demand is growing for wearable IoT devices such as smart helmets and vests that monitor worker vital signs and environmental hazards, ensuring real-time alerts for health and safety risks. In high-risk sectors like oil and gas and mining, IoT-enabled gas/chemical sensors can detect leaks instantly, preventing explosions and harmful exposures and sending alerts to control centres. With 5G and AI integration, IoT safety systems are facilitating predictive risk management, driving rapid market growth as industries prioritise data-driven, proactive safety measures.

Another growth area highlighted is the VR sector. VR in safety training effectively simulates real-world scenarios, enabling employees to practice addressing workplace hazards in a safe, controlled setting. This immersive experience increases engagement, making learning more interactive and memorable and leading to quicker response times in actual situations, thereby helping to reduce workplace accidents and enhance overall safety performance.

Geneva-headquartered SGS, a testing, inspection and certification specialist, has acquired H₂Safety Services Inc., a provider of emergency response management, HSE training, and emergency software services

H₂Safety, which last year celebrated its 20^th anniversary, serves oil & gas, mining, transportation, energy and government entities, specifically centring its services around regulatory compliance and consultation.

CEO and chairman of H2Safety, James Harasen, explained, "Our approach to safeguarding critical infrastructure, communities, employees and natural environments is rooted in building authentic relationships and addressing community concerns transparently."

On the acquisition, Harasen added, "We are excited about joining SGS to expand our emergency management footprint while also leveraging SGS's proven expertise in delivering comprehensive HSE solutions across various industries."

The H2CommandCentre platform is chief among the firm's service and solution suite. The platform has vast-reaching incident response capabilities, activating emergency response, delivering rapid notifications and real-time check-ins; and maps hazard zones and critical residents and stakeholders. Over 15,000 operators currently use the platform.

SGS' North American head of industrial services, Patrick Beck, emphasised, "Operational integrity is at the core of SGS's corporate culture, since our customers entrust us with their quality assurance and operational fluidity needs in a wide range of industrial environments.

"HSE is at the core of what we do. We also have a strong HSE record within our own operations, so we really walk the talk when it comes to protecting assets, employees and the environment."

SGS has committed to doubling North American sales between 2023 and 2027.