Marvin OnumonuThe 2026 Workplace Safety Report from EcoOnline found 90% of UK and Ireland workers said they were more productive in a safer workplace.
The report, published for World Day for Safety and Health at Work, showed 79% would consider leaving their job if conditions were unsafe.
Almost a third of UK lone workers had an accident on the job in 2025.
Confidence in employer responsibility dropped from 68% to 62%.
Stress was the top factor, with 61% of those affected by a workplace accident or illness saying it played a role.
44% of workers handled chemicals at work, up from 42% in 2025, but action to phase out hazardous substances stayed flat at 62%.
Only 30% said they understood their employer’s crisis management plan.
Workers said the biggest threats to business continuity were cyberattack or data breach (42%), serious injury or medical emergency (27%), fire or evacuation (23%), and physical security threats or unauthorised access (23%).
72% of workers said more digital tools would help them feel safer, up from 67% in 2025.
74% thought artificial intelligence (AI) could improve safety, but most wanted more training for staff (37%) and more people working on safety (38%).
Tom Goodmanson, CEO at EcoOnline, said: “We know safe workers are productive workers.
“Not just because accidents create downtime, but because safety directly affects focus and confidence.
“When the workforce trusts their safety processes, they spend less time compensating for risk and more time doing their jobs well.”
Goodmanson added: “Connected risk visibility is critical here – giving teams the clarity to act quickly and keep operations moving.
“Technology aids this journey by supporting better decisions and scaling human expertise, so productivity and protection reinforce each other.
“The companies that get this right will be the ones that treat safety as a driver of operational readiness, not just a cost of compliance.”
