Human presence in safety will always be essential and individuals will be personal in presence, but AI is helping the professional with this. AI is an augmenter, not a replacement in most cases. Professionally and personally, I’ve been using practical AI tools to streamline tasks and assist with document collection. One example of this is long and arduous task of collecting, publishing, and keeping up to date Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Through the use of open-source generative AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, this process can be streamlined. With a little coding knowledge (or the proper prompts) you can have in short order all the SDS sheets for your products. From there one can create a repository that is then kept up to date and where items can automatically be placed when a new product is introduced. To make this easier to convey to employees we have been using QR codes as a delivery mechanism.
With any system change, the key is fit-for-purpose integration if human-in-the-loop review and simple metrics are analyzed to verify value to the client. This example passes all those tests. Time is saved and information is kept up to date. Like everything else we introduce into a system there is a place for each piece. Ultimately, it is about increasing productivity and leveraging technology. For clients to realize the benefits, organizations must require explainability, validation, and bias checks, protect data and privacy, and measure impact ensuring AI strengthens, not replaces, the discipline of the safety professional.
Reach out and share how your organization is harnessing the power of AI or if we can help save you time and money on routine tasks.