Business Reporter: AI in EHS – from adoption to impact 

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Competent implementation of AI 

Despite predictions that AI will replace 34-40 per cent of the workforce, it won’t happen any time soon.  Is already improving how professionals capture and analyse data. EHS can leverage AI to identify patterns and trends in data that eludes the human eye. Opinions about AI are divided on the shopfloor – some are worried about their jobs, while others find AI’s potential exciting.

 

The challenge for manufacturers is to find the right use cases and deploy AI competently. Trust is key to adoption, and while it can be harnessed to automate processes, there will always be workflows that must be done by humans, such as reporting an incident – but AI can definitely help humans do it better and faster.  

 

How AI is used in EHS 

Risk assessment is one of the major EHS areas where AI is being leveraged. However, paradoxically, it comes with risks. Therefore, human review is essential, as well as involving people in risk assessments as it can improve the business culture too. A case in point is the risk assessment on chemicals, which must be carried out in most countries to meet either regulations or standards. In these setting, filling in data sheets can be delegated to AI, while safety professionals can have more time for doing higher value jobs.  

 

AI can not only cut the time it takes to write EHS reports but also suggest how certain issues can be eliminated once it’s given the legal and regulatory context. The most typical AI use case in EHS is still data analytics and gaining actionable insights. Agentic AI, which can automate whole workflows, is still not used extensively by the sector. AI can also flag up gaps in data and suggest how data quality can be improved. Smaller firms often find the cost of AI solutions prohibitive. So they have to tailor their AI procurement to their budget.  

 

To make the most of AI, we also need more education on it both at the workplace and in further education. The paradox is that EHS, a risk averse job is now embracing AI that comes with risks. However, if AI is used cautiously, it can eventually lead to a more efficient way of managing environmental, health and safety risks – that’s why AI governance plays a key role in successful adoption. Meanwhile, AI capabilities and intuitive interfaces can also accelerate the deployment of EHS management tools. With competent people in the organisation, it’s easy to make quick wins with smaller AI deployments, where positive experiences with AI can help win over workers and employees to further adoption.  

 

The panel’s advice 

• There are three ways AI can improve efficiency – reduce the time the completion of a workflow requires, make it cost less and improve the consistency of data.   
• AI must be one of the basic skills taught at school alongside maths and reading.  
• Manufacturing is more open to AI adoption than EHS. 
• When you implement AI, make sure you bring all your people with you – including less competent users.