As employers across North America compete for skilled frontline labor in higher-risk sectors, new research from EcoOnline reveals that gaps in workplace safety may be holding back worker recruitment, retention, and productivity.

To mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, EcoOnline, a leading global provider of safety and sustainability software, today released new findings from its annual Workplace Safety Report. The report found that of 1,200 workers surveyed across the United States and Canada, 92% said a safer workplace made them more productive, 77% said it would affect their choice of employer, and 78% said they would consider leaving a position due to unsafe conditions. 

Productivity, retention, and workforce pressures

Across the U.S. and Canada, hundreds of thousands of roles remain unfilled in higher-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transport, and warehousing. EcoOnline data suggests workplace safety is one of the clearest levers employers have to attract, retain, and motivate talent. 

Yet while most workers report feeling generally safe, incident rates remain high year on year, even as awareness of risk grows. Nearly half, 47%, say they or someone close to them has experienced a workplace incident or illness, indicating that day-to-day safety and operational pressures may be undermining output and wider business performance.

Operational risks highlighted by workers

Workers describe safety risk as broader, more complex, and more operational than in the past. Beyond traditional physical hazards, they point to interconnected pressures that directly affect productivity and workers’ willingness to stay in role:

• Stress was linked to 56% of workplace accidents and illnesses
• Lone worker confidence in employer responsibility fell from 69% to 62% year on year, with 33% having experienced an accident while working alone in 2025
• Severe and extreme weather events were cited as a top crisis threat (26%) to business as well as leading worry for lone workers (42%)
• Chemical exposure in daily work was reported by 53% of workers, up from 44% in 2025
• Cyberattacks were cited as another top risk to business operations (26%)
   

Technology can strengthen safety, with human expertise at the core

Technology is increasingly seen as part of the workplace safety solution, but confidence still depends on practical value and human oversight:

• 73% of North America workers say digital EHS tools could improve workplace safety, increasing from 70% in 2025
• 47% believe AI could play a positive role, showing interest, but also that trust still needs to be earned

In parallel with safety automation, teams still demand humans in the loop. Top asks for safety investment were more training for all staff (36%) and ensuring more employees work specifically on safety (38%), reinforcing that technology should support safety teams and scale their expertise, not replace them.

"We know safe workers are productive workers," said Tom Goodmanson, CEO at EcoOnline. "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. 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."

Read the full analysis in the EcoOnline North America 2026 Workplace Safety Report.