Enhancing Workplace Safety with AI-Driven Insights While Keeping Humans in Control.
Gary Ng, CEO and Co-Founder of viAct comes with a background of building engineering who turned into AIpreneur with inception of viAct in 2016. He has 10+ years of experience in implementing technological innovations in construction industry. Before viAct, he was the Managing Director of 3D fashiontech EFI Optitex. Also rewarded as the best regional senior executive in NASDAQ listed technology enterprise Stratasys.
Machines don’t get tired. Algorithms don’t blink. Sensors don’t miss a beat.
But does that mean AI can—or should—replace human safety oversight in manufacturing?
The debate isn’t new, but factory floors are evolving fast. AI is no longer just about efficiency; it’s a key part of workplace safety. From monitoring hazardous zones to detecting PPE violations and predicting equipment failures, AI is transforming safety management.
Still, where does human oversight fit in?
Gary Ng, CEO of viAct, underscores the balance and says: “AI in safety isn’t about substitution; it’s about augmentation. By integrating real-time analytics and automation, AI empowers safety officers to anticipate risks and enhance response strategies.”
In Deloitte’s 2025 Manufacturing Industry Outlook Report, reports from a survey of manufacturers indicated that 78% of them planning AI integration as a part of their transformation strategies.
While in Canada, AI adoption across industries is believed to be in the early stages, in 2024 6.1% of all businesses agreed to use AI for production and service delivery.
The future holding AI-powered safety solutions as workplace safety guardians in even the Canadian Manufacturing landscape is not far. But how, let’s explore.
AI as a Safety Assistant, Not a Decision-Maker
Imagine a busy manufacturing plant in Ontario—high-speed conveyor belts, robotic welders, and workers navigating between them. A worker leans too close to a restricted area. In that split second, the computer vision enabled across the CCTVs guarding the workplace detects the risk and sounds an alert. The worker steps back, avoiding a serious injury.
In this case, who is in control—the AI or the worker?
AI flags risks, but it is the humans who take action. The worker adjusts, and the safety manager intervenes if needed. AI is not an enforcer—it’s an extra set of eyes, providing real-time insights to help humans act faster and smarter.
The Synergy of AI and Human Expertise in Safety
AI in manufacturing safety is transforming the landscape by identifying risks before they escalate, but its effectiveness is maximized when combined with human expertise.
Consider a chemical plant worker who must operate a rarely used valve. Instead of scanning dense manuals or waiting for expert advice, they use an AI-powered chatbot like viGent that provides immediate safety protocols. While AI delivers relevant information, the worker must determine whether the procedure applies to their specific situation.
AI accelerates decision-making, but human judgment ensures the right choice is made.
Beyond responding to risks, AI also excels at predicting them. By analyzing trends such as machinery showing early signs of failure, a particular shift experiencing more near-miss incidents, or seasonal patterns in worker fatigue AI-powered safety management system enables proactive safety measures.
However, data alone does not create a safer workplace. Human expertise is essential in interpreting underlying causes, whether they stem from inadequate training, gaps in workplace safety culture, or operational inefficiencies. AI provides insights, but it is human analysis that turns those insights into effective action.
A Manufacturing Industry Case Study
Let’s drive through an automotive assembly plant in Toronto, where high-speed robotic welders and conveyor belts operate continuously.
When they incorporated computer vision and AI video analytics as a part of their AI-powered safety solution, the system recently could detect a loose robotic arm component with 98.9% accuracy, something that could have been missed during manual inspections.
Within seconds, an automated alert was sent to the EHS team, allowing them to intervene immediately. This prevented an estimated 12 hours of production downtime and a potential $150,000 in repair costs.
Beyond machinery monitoring, the AI automated safety system also tracks worker safety daily. Previously, PPE compliance checks took supervisors an average of 3 minutes per worker during shift changes. With AI-powered monitoring, compliance verification now happens in under 5 seconds, ensuring near-instant detection of missing protective gear while saving an estimated 20 worker hours per week.
By integrating AI into its safety strategy, the plant achieved a 40% reduction in manual inspection hours, allowing safety teams to focus on proactive risk mitigation rather than repetitive monitoring.
So, to summarise, AI is an enabler, not a replacement. It enhances human capabilities, fills the gaps in constant vigilance, and provides the kind of real-time intelligence that was once impossible.
The most advanced safety systems are not the ones that remove humans from the equation. They are the ones that strengthen human decision-making—giving safety officers and workers the tools they need to make the workplace safer than ever before.
