On average, 95 people are seriously injured in a forklift accident every day and one person is killed in a forklift-related accident every four days in the United States alone. 

Unfortunately, these aren’t just statistics - they represent tragedies that devastate families, disrupt operations, and affect workplace morale. 

Despite widespread recognition of forklift safety risks, incident rates remain consistent across the materials handling industry.

Computer vision (CV) is emerging as a powerful tool to address these challenges. 

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse video from existing security cameras, these systems can detect unsafe behaviours in real time - from risky forklift operation and missing personal protective equipment to ergonomic risks and near-miss events. 

The technology provides continuous monitoring across entire facilities, capturing safety insights that would be impossible through manual observation.

The fundamental challenge in implementing technology-enabled safety programs isn't technical capability - it's worker acceptance. 

When AI-powered safety feels like punishment waiting to happen, workers find workarounds, underreport near-misses, and disengage from the very technology designed to protect them. 

This resistance doesn't stem from workers not caring about safety - it comes from programs that deploy technology without earning workforce trust.

Here are five principles that help build programs workers genuinely support:

Establish baselines and celebrate progress

When climbing a mountain, it's essential to stop periodically and look at how far you've come. The same principle applies to safety programs. 

Establishing clear baseline metrics gives workers tangible goals to work toward and visible evidence of their collective progress. 

Data aggregation tools make this easier, leveraging existing camera infrastructure and CV to create benchmarks without adding administrative burden. 

When teams can see their improvement trajectory (whether it's reduced near-misses, better ergonomic practices, or safer vehicle operations), safety becomes a shared achievement rather than an abstract mandate.

Prioritise processes over people

Focus on systemic improvements rather than individual correction, especially during the early implementation stage. This approach demonstrates that technology exists to fix workflows, not blame workers. 

Process comes first; behaviour modification comes second. 

When workers see that identified risks lead to better facility layouts, improved equipment access, or streamlined processes, they recognise the technology as an ally in making their jobs safer and easier.

Communicate relentlessly and engage authentically

Communicate when implementing new safety technology. Offer workers the opportunity to voice how they think systems should be utilised. 

Engage union representatives or employee safety committees early and often. 

Then close the feedback loop by demonstrating how worker input shapes program implementation. Address privacy concerns directly by explaining data security measures, anonymisation protocols, and the explicit boundaries between safety monitoring and individual surveillance. 

Empower rather than punish

Technology should reinforce positive behaviours rather than document failures. 

Consider gamification based on leading indicators that celebrate success rates rather than counting violations. 

Recognise positive behaviours publicly while conducting behaviour modification conversations privately and constructively. 

This approach transforms the psychological dynamic from fear-based compliance to pride-based engagement. 

Workers respond better to "Our shift’s forklift operators stopped at 95% of intersections this month" than, "We recorded 47 violations”.

Integrate Technology Into Training and Culture

Build technological insights into every aspect of your training program. Level-set expectations with new workers from day one, demonstrating the organisation's commitment to maintaining safe workplaces through both traditional methods and modern tools. 

When technology makes behaviour-based safety programs nearly effortless by automating observation and pattern recognition, safety professionals can focus their expertise on coaching, culture-building, and systemic improvements.

Technology alone doesn't create safety culture - people do. 

The most sophisticated monitoring systems fail without worker buy-in, while even basic tools succeed when workers understand their purpose and trust their application. 

Building programs workers actually want requires recognising that safety isn't something we do to our workforce - it's something we build with them. 

When workers see technology as a partner in their protection rather than a mechanism of punishment, safety transforms from compliance theatre into genuine cultural commitment.