GIFIS presents safety technology framework at ACOH 2026 in Malaysia

The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) presented its latest work on the effective adoption of safety technologies at the 24th Asian Congress on Occupational Health (ACOH 2026) in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Held from 5-8 August at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, ACOH 2026 brought together more than 2,000 experts, practitioners and researchers to exchange knowledge on emerging challenges and innovations in occupational health and safety. The congress focused on shaping safer, healthier and more sustainable workplaces through collaboration between academia, industry and policymakers.

As part of the congress, GIFIS presented Making Safety Tech Work: A practical framework for identifying and selecting safety technology solutions for industry, a white paper developed by Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy in collaboration with GIFIS.

The paper addresses a growing challenge for industrial organisations: while technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, wearables and connected monitoring systems offer significant opportunities to improve worker safety, organisations can struggle to determine which solutions will deliver the greatest impact and how their potential benefits compare with the cost and effort required for implementation.

To support more informed decision-making, Making Safety Tech Work introduces the 4Ps framework – Prevention, Precaution, Prediction and Protection. Building on the established Hierarchy of Controls, the framework provides a structured approach for assessing and comparing safety technologies according to how they address hazards, reduce the likelihood of incidents and limit their potential severity.

Drawing on global data, industry examples and an analysis of more than 19,000 patented technologies, the paper also explores how industrial safety innovation is shifting from traditional mechanical solutions towards increasingly digital and predictive technologies.

“Presenting the research at ACOH 2026 provided an opportunity to bring the framework into a wider discussion with occupational health and safety professionals from across Asia and beyond, supporting GIFIS’ broader work to encourage evidence-based approaches to technology adoption and safer industrial transformation.

There is enormous potential for new technologies to improve industrial safety, but real impact depends on organisations being able to identify the right solutions for the challenges they face. We hope this framework can help make those decisions clearer and more evidence-based.”

Francisco Pereira, GIFIS Project Lead

The presentation reflects GIFIS’ commitment to bridging the gap between safety innovation and practical implementation, helping organisations make more informed decisions about technologies that can protect workers and create safer industrial environments.

Download: Making safety tech work