How will OHS change in 2026?

IOSH UK asked its OHS Professionals what they think the most anticipated OHS practice changes will be in 2026? Below is an extract of some of their comments & feelings about AI in OHS:

”A significant change in OSH practice in 2026 will likely stem from the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across risk management, behavioural analysis and real-time safety monitoring. AI-driven systems will enhance predictive capabilities, but this growing reliance on automated insights may lead to a dilution of applied human knowledge, as OHS practitioners increasingly depend on algorithmic outputs rather than experiential judgement” (Marc Smith).

• Janis Baugh is concerned that “there will be greater pressure on OSH professionals regarding environment, quality and HR – subjects on which they are not necessarily competent to advise. Smaller companies trying to gain accreditation for health and safety purposes are already struggling with this and I feel there is a need to be careful not to compromise our professional ethics by attempting to help”.


• Matt Hall believes that OHS professionals need to embrace AI as it will continue to change the way we work quite significantly. This will be mostly for the better, but we will still need to be careful around what exactly we use it for. I wouldn’t suggest using AI to create risk assessments any time in the near future, but it can & will help us when looking at industry trends and potential upcoming challenges we may face by gathering data”.


• Nigel Roper “thinks there will be further developments towards goal-setting legislation, leaving the industry to ‘self-regulate’” (UK OHS) & that in the UK “there is a move towards health and safety advisers being less knowledgeable on technical issues and becoming creators (AI?) and enforcers of process and procedures, which take a precautionary principle approach rather than a practical advice/ mentoring approach. 


• Matthew Beckett states “there will be more push to explore and dilute OSH, with a shift further away from physical safety and visual inspection, with a greater reliance on systems and AI. As a result of cost-cutting during enforced austerity, AI will be used to complete what are perceived as non-direct, non-value-adding activities”.


• Andrew Davies states that “an increasing impact of mental health, psychosocial and stress risk within the workplace, will require improved awareness of the occupational health implications, an HR focus on OSH requirements and the need for an integrated approach to risk assessments and preventive risk control measures”.


• Peter Gotch would like to see OSH practitioners and the bodies & media representing them (including OSH magazines) focus on the basics that continue to harm huge numbers of workers across the world, perhaps even shifting focus from safety to occupational health, but with a bit less on wellbeing. They need to get down to the risks that we know kill and harm in great numbers.

(Ref: How will OSH change in 2026? | IOSH magazine)

Conclusion Comment: In 2026 the OHS Practitioners must ensure the OHS basics & knowledge is applied even when AI is being used, remembering that the AI outputs are compiled from overseas data bases, that may not consider South African legislation requirements & so AI users may be legally non-compliance exposed.

An OHS Practitioner’s focus is still to promote ZERO HARM in the workplace.