AI Seen as Key to Overcoming Rising Safety Challenges, Study Finds

Article Date: 2025-11-06T11:01:00-05:00
Article URL: https://www.supplychain247.com/article/sphera-2025-report-ai-key-to-process-safety/
Article Image: https://www.supplychain247.com/images/2025_article/locus_roboitcs_article_ai_in_warehousing_practical_guide_0925.jpg

Summary

Sphera’s 2025 Process Safety Report finds growing concern about process safety as facilities age and experienced staff retire. Confidence in reducing major accident hazards has dropped — only 27% of organisations are now “very confident”, down from 35% a year earlier, and 9% have no confidence at all.

The study also shows companies are increasingly turning to digital tools and AI: 64% say digital tools are already helping, 42% are using or plan to use AI, and roughly a quarter report AI is improving safety programmes. Third-party partners are linked to higher digital maturity; 55% of respondents rely on outside providers and these organisations tend to adopt AI more and feel more confident managing risk.

Key Points

Confidence in managing major accident risks fell from 35% to 27% year-on-year; 9% have no confidence.
64% of respondents say digital tools are already benefiting their business.
42% are using or planning to use AI; ~24% say AI is improving their safety programmes.
29% use AI to connect risk data across multiple sites, enabling broader visibility.
55% of organisations rely on third-party partners; these firms show greater digital maturity and higher confidence.
Primary pressures: ageing infrastructure, workforce attrition and rising operational complexity.
Sphera recommends connecting data across assets and using AI to predict and prevent major incidents.

Context and relevance

The report sits at the intersection of safety, digital transformation and workforce change. With an ageing estate of plants and a retiring experienced workforce, traditional safety measures are under strain. Digital tools and AI are presented as the next wave of mitigation — from aggregating risk data across sites to predictive analytics that could spot issues before they escalate.

For professionals in operations, safety, compliance and supply chain, the findings underline a clear trend: organisations that invest in digital maturity and external expertise are further ahead in adopting AI and managing risk.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you look after safety, operations or facilities, this is worth your two-minute skim. The report shows confidence is slipping but tech — especially AI — is actually helping teams plug the gap. It flags where others are succeeding (third-party partners, data connections) so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Author style

Punchy: This piece matters. It combines hard numbers with practical direction — ageing infrastructure + lost experience = rising risk, and AI + connected data = the most promising fix. If you care about preventing major incidents, read the detail and act on the recommendations.