Digitalisation is bringing rapid and profound changes to every aspect of our lives. This is not merely the introduction of new technological tools; IT also affects our daily habits, social relationships and, particularly, the organisation of work. On the one hand, digital technologies offer new opportunities, as they facilitate access to information, increase the efficiency of processes, enable more flexible forms of work and increase employment opportunities in previously non-existent areas. On the other, this change also brings complex challenges and new risks to health and safety in its wake. The large-scale introduction of digital devices, automated systems and forms of teleworking requires new skills, new protective measures and greater consideration of ergonomic, cognitive and psychosocial factors that can arise in increasingly digitised environments.
The EZA held a seminar on “Health and Safety at Work: Changes in the digital age”, in Milan, Italy on 24-26 November 2025, which was organised by the Fondazione Luigi Clerici (FLC). The event was attended by some key European stakeholders and thus provided a good opportunity to trigger the necessary exchange and discussion on this topic. The seminar was organised in collaboration with EZA and funded by the European Union.
53 representatives of workers’ organisations and various speakers participated in the seminar. The event had a strong international dimension, as the participants came from Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Albania, North Macedonia, Belgium and Germany, and thus contributed to rich and diverse discussions based on their different experiences, contexts and perspectives.
The following topics were discussed:
Digitalisation and well-being in the workplace: A challenge for trade unions in the future
SMEs and occupational safety: Strategies and challenges in the digital transformation of work
Secure digital environments and security culture in the digital era: Protection through training
The EU-OSH campaign “Healthy and safe workplaces – Safe and healthy work in the digital era”
Safe working in the digital era: How Europe is investing in the health of workers
Health and safety education: The role of education in the digital era
Digital innovation and lifelong learning: Developing a culture of safety
Safety 4.0: The role of trade unions in the digital transformation of work
Digital health and well-being: Prevention of the invisible risks in networked work
Several findings emerged from the panel discussions and presentations:
Digital transformation brings with it challenges and critical points that are often invisible or difficult to ascertain. The boundaries between work time and leisure time are now blurred, similar to those between the professional and private sphere. It is becoming increasingly difficult to switch off, and it is often assumed that workers are permanently available. Moreover, digital control and monitoring, along with continuous performance measurement, are having a profound impact on the psychological well-being of people, and are increasing the spread of phenomena such as technostress, performance pressure, and information overload. In addition, the digital divide may risk exacerbating the differences and inequalities between employees.
The role of trade unions is therefore more crucial than ever in the digital era. Unions must not merely take a defensive stance aimed solely at slowing down technological innovations but should rather adopt an active position focused on governance, participation and the strategic protection of workers. It is crucial for trade unions to be fully involved in all agreements and decision-making processes concerning health and safety in the context of the digital transformation.
The union representatives highlighted some essential aspects. Firstly, the right to disconnect is a pillar for the well-being of workers: Digital hyper-connectivity leads to stress, cognitive overload and impairment of psychophysical recovery. It is therefore vital to ensure that workers take real breaks, and that every employee is able to “switch off” without pressure or fear of consequences. Another critical area is digital surveillance, and this is a particularly sensitive topic. Representatives stated that it must never become invasive or degenerate into a means of excessive control. Technology in all its forms must be viewed as a tool that serves humans, and not as an end in itself. This perspective is fundamental to avoid excesses that infringe upon the privacy, dignity and autonomy of workers.
Digitalisation offers great opportunities for companies to improve training, safety and work organisation, but it also involves new risks that require careful management. It is crucial to ensure effective training that is also accessible to workers with few qualifications, to constantly monitor compliance with the regulations, and to manage the use of digital tools in a balanced way to avoid workers suffering from overload, stress, or loss of meaning in work. Companies, particularly SMEs, to be competitive and safe, must invest in a safety culture that actively involves workers and which collaborates with institutions, unions and networks of other companies. Safety must be viewed as a strategic decision, not as a cost factor.
The digital transformation clearly represents a strategic opportunity in education to strengthen the safety culture, but it only works if it is integrated into a continuous and structured learning process. Technologies such as AI, VR/AR and LMS systems improve the quality of education, reduce human error and promote continuous learning based on data and realistic simulations. However, to achieve practical results, it is also essential to address the new digital risks, boost the skills of workers and ensure strong compliance with the relevant standards (such as ISO 45001). An effective safety culture arises from the integration of technological innovation, the participation of workers, and the ongoing commitment of managers to promote modern, accessible and sustainable training pathways.
To conclude, we must emphasise that the rapid progress of technology and artificial intelligence triggers an urgent need to preserve the central role of humans. AI must remain a tool that is controlled by humans to guarantee health, safety and dignity, because only humans can evaluate their actions based on ethical and moral criteria. Machines that lack consciousness cannot distinguish between good and evil and must never make decisions that affect the life or worth of human beings. Wisdom and humility are required in this context: Science is not automatically moral, and it is the task of humans to set the boundaries and the direction.
The danger of increasing dehumanisation is also now apparent in the world of work, where algorithms only evaluate efficiency and disregard personal situations and the weaknesses that are part of life. Leaders and organisations must therefore be responsible for steering the use of technology in an ethical direction to ensure that it continues to serve people and does not diminish their value. Only in this way can innovation contribute to a truly safe digital future that respects the dignity of human beings.