PlanRadar research reveals technology investment influences construction staff retention

by AI & Deep LearningConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry CommentResearch

PlanRadar research identifies technology as a factor in staff retention

Research from PlanRadar indicates that over half of construction professionals are more likely to remain with their current organisation if it increases investment in AI and technology.

One in four respondents reported they would be significantly more likely to stay with an employer that prioritises digital tools.

The study found that nearly half of participants have no current plans to invest in digital tools with AI capabilities despite the potential impact on talent retention.

Attracting and retaining experienced project management talent is currently a critical priority for the construction industry.

UK professionals prioritise data security and accuracy

Data from the UK market shows that 57% of professionals cite accuracy and trust as their primary concern when using AI tools for project management.

Data privacy and security represent a top-tier concern for 29% of UK respondents.

Fear of job displacement ranks last among global concerns and was cited by only 6% of participants.

Nearly half of the respondents spend more than 11 hours per week on tasks they believe AI could streamline.

Among those already using AI-integrated tools, two-thirds report saving at least two hours per week on each project.

Rob Norton, UK Director at PlanRadar, commented: “We’ve reached a point in UK construction where a pay rise alone just isn’t enough to keep hold of your best people.

“Project managers are exhausted by administrative tasks that effectively wipe out a full day of their week.

“They don’t want AI to do their jobs for them; they want it to clear the paperwork off their desks so they can focus on high-value project delivery.

“If firms keep ignoring that, they’re going to lose their most experienced leaders to the competitors who are actually willing to modernise these outdated manual processes.”

Growth in project management demand shapes technology adoption

Ibrahim Imam, Co-Founder and CEO of PlanRadar, said: “Construction professionals are spending more than a full working day every week on tasks that AI is already proving it can dramatically reduce.

“This is an unnecessary drain on some of the most experienced people in the industry.

“Our research shows that professionals are not fearful of AI, quite the opposite, more than half say investment in AI tools would make them more likely to stay with their employer.

“In a market where experienced project management talent is increasingly difficult to attract and retain, organisations that fail to invest in the tools their people need are taking a risk they may not fully appreciate.”

The Project Management Institute (PMI) estimates the construction industry will require nearly 2.5 million additional project professionals by 2035.

Sander van de Rijdt, Co-Founder and CEO of PlanRadar, added: “Construction professionals are not resistant to AI, they are asking for something very reasonable: tools they can trust, with outputs they can rely on and confidence that their project data stays protected.

“At PlanRadar we believe that trust in AI cannot be an afterthought.

“Construction professionals manage sensitive project data every day, so any AI working with that information must meet the highest standards for protection, compliance and user control.

“That expectation is shaping how we are developing AI, with these principles built in from the outset.”

The Deloitte 2026 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook notes that construction wages have risen 4.2% year-on-year as firms compete for talent.

TracPlus examines human factors in wildland firefighting AI use

by Aerial FirefightingAI & Deep LearningFeatured NewsResearchWildland Fire

Wildland firefighting AI accountability

TracPlus has published a new white paper examining how aerial agencies can manage the adoption of artificial intelligence with transparency and accountability.

The document, titled AI Makes the Call. Who Answers for It?, provides an industry-informed perspective on the increasing role of automated systems in fire operations.

TracPlus is an operational data infrastructure provider that monitors more than 2,500 wildfire suppression aircraft across 44 countries.

The paper identifies that AI systems are already influencing how decisions are made while governance structures are still in a state of evolution.

National agencies including CAL FIRE, New Zealand’s Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and Australia’s national aerial firefighting program use the platform as their system of record.

The infrastructure holds more than a billion flight records and collects approximately one million new operational data points every day.

Operational data and human judgment

The white paper highlights how AI systems can change how human judgment is applied during wildland firefighting operations.

Research indicates that the reliability of these tools depends on the quality and visibility of the underlying data.

Todd O’Hara, Chief Commercial Officer at TracPlus, said: “AI is becoming part of the operational toolkit, and that’s a positive development.

“The opportunity for agencies is to introduce it in a way that preserves visibility into what’s happening, why recommendations are being made, and how those decisions play out over time.”

The proposed approach involves running AI recommendations alongside human decisions and maintaining an independent operational record.

Agencies can use this data to establish a baseline and evaluate the performance of new technologies over time.

Qwake and webAI set emergency response focus on fire departments

by AI & Deep LearningFeatured News

Emergency response partnership begins with fire departments

webAI has announced a strategic collaboration with Qwake Technologies to assess predictive AI capabilities for emergency response, starting with fire departments.

The company said the work is intended to combine webAI’s edge intelligence infrastructure with Qwake’s critical operations platform to give incident commanders better information during incidents.

The collaboration is centred on moving AI into field use by bringing intelligence to where data originates.

The companies said this could create a practical tool for the fireground and could help operators, command staff and city leaders manage risk and improve operational effectiveness without additional resources.

How the companies described the work

webAI said Qwake currently embeds sensors and AI into emergency environments, including on people and vehicles, and that the two companies are examining how a predictive edge intelligence system could support the modern fireground.

David Stout, founder and CEO of webAI, said: “AI shouldn’t live in a distant cloud.

“It should be a practical tool that helps people in their own communities.

“Through our collaboration with Qwake, we see an opportunity to bring edge intelligence to the fireground in a way that could give first responders more real-time, mission-critical technology to stay safe and stay ahead of crisis.”

Sam Cossman, CEO of Qwake, added: “Today, C-THRU puts sensors on the people and vehicles closest to the crisis.

“That gives us real-time data from inside the most dangerous environments on earth.

“webAI’s edge intelligence has the potential to accelerate our roadmap from rapid response to prediction, and that could meaningfully expand how cities protect their communities.”

webAI said the escalation prediction tool is the first step in a wider shared vision for intelligent infrastructure across cities.

Fire and smoke detection results raise questions for smart cities

by AI & Deep LearningFeatured NewsFire DetectionResearch

Detection system combines two AI models

Researchers at Jouf University in Saudi Arabia have developed an artificial intelligence framework for early smoke and fire detection in smart city environments.

A study by Amr Abozeid and Rayan Alanazi describes a hybrid system that combines a Vision Transformer with the YOLOv8 object detection architecture.

The framework is designed to identify early-stage smoke and fire patterns in complex visual scenes and support faster response through smart city monitoring systems.

The study says conventional heat and smoke detectors often raise alerts only after smoke reaches the device.

It adds that existing video-based systems can also produce false alarms when visual conditions include dust, clouds or changes in lighting.

The Vision Transformer analyses global visual patterns in an image so the system can detect subtle smoke characteristics and spatial relationships across a scene.

The YOLOv8 module then performs real-time object detection to localise smoke and fire regions at speed.

Detection results and next steps

According to the study in Scientific Reports, the researchers trained and tested the model on more than 7,000 images from urban and rural datasets.

These images included smoke and fire scenes captured under different lighting conditions and in different environments.

The system achieved 99.2% accuracy, with precision of 98.5% and recall of 97.8%.

Its F1 score reached 98.1% and inference latency was about 45 milliseconds, which the study says enabled real-time detection at about 22 frames per second.

The researchers reported an accuracy increase of about 4.3% compared with conventional convolutional neural network approaches and other single-model detection systems.

The study also says the framework performed better than several existing detection models across precision, recall and localisation accuracy.

It states that the hybrid architecture can distinguish real smoke or fire from visually similar features such as printed flames or static images by analysing contextual and spatial characteristics rather than relying only on colour.

The authors say further validation in real-world settings is still needed, with future work set to examine thermal imaging and environmental sensor inputs for low-visibility conditions.

NFPA Skilled Trades survey shows technology plans and workforce worries

by AI & Deep LearningAmericas - Featured NewsBreaking NewsResearch

Skilled Trades report flags gaps and rollbacks

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released its annual State of the Skilled Trades report on 15 January 2026, setting out survey findings on artificial intelligence, labour shortages and concern about rollbacks in codes and standards.

The NFPA said the publication is intended to reflect workforce perspectives, sentiment and anticipated challenges for the year ahead.

Jim Pauley, President and CEO of NFPA, said: “For years, the skilled trades industry has been called ‘automation-proof,’ but AI isn’t here to replace the craft; it’s here to remove the friction,

“We can use technology to both streamline mundane tasks and deliver smarter, more personalized training, unlocking the efficiencies companies need and the upskilling opportunities employees deserve.

“Leaders must show clearly that both priorities are advancing together.”

The announcement also referenced an upgrade to NFPA LiNK, NFPA’s digital codes and standards platform.

It said the new version adds AI-powered capabilities, including CASI, described as an AI assistant trained on NFPA-sourced content.

NFPA said the full State of the Skilled Trades report can be accessed by completing a short form.

Skilled Trades survey shows expected AI impact alongside training preferences

In the State of the Skilled Trades report, NFPA reported results from a virtual survey of 512 U.S.-based workers aged 18 and older across sectors including electrical, manufacturing, construction, engineering, architect and design, facility maintenance, fire service, fire protection, inspection and AHJ, government, healthcare, industrial and education.

Sixty-eight per cent of respondents said AI and technological advancements will have a tangible impact on their work in 2026.

Thirty-eight per cent said technology advancements will reduce mundane tasks in 2026.

Thirty-seven per cent cited quick access to relevant information on the jobsite as a benefit of AI and technology upgrades.

Thirty-four per cent cited streamlining project management and communication as a benefit.

Thirty per cent identified resistance to change within the skilled trades industry as a primary barrier to adopting new technologies.

Thirty-four per cent cited the cost of implementing technology upgrades as a barrier.

Twenty-seven per cent cited a lack of training or knowledge of new technologies as a barrier.

Thirty-five per cent expected increased technology deployment to be their organisation’s top focus for the next year.

Twenty-six per cent wanted technology to be a primary focus.

Twenty-nine per cent preferred increased training for a more skilled workforce.

Twenty-one per cent preferred updating manual or outdated equipment.

Fifty-four per cent planned to take part in more training in the next year.

Thirty-eight per cent planned to sit for more certifications in the next year.

Seventeen per cent anticipated their organisations would prioritise training opportunities.

Skilled Trades findings highlight code rollback concerns and labour shortages

In the same report, NFPA reported increased awareness of codes and standards alongside continued concern about workforce capacity and retention.

Sixty-two per cent agreed in some capacity that their understanding of how building codes and standards affect their day-to-day lives increased in the past year.

Sixty-one per cent said they were aware of ongoing changes and deregulation efforts around codes and standards.

Thirty-five per cent said they were not yet feeling the impact of codes and standards deregulation in their industry.

Twenty-six per cent said they were currently experiencing the impact of codes and standards deregulation in their industry.

Respondents averaged a concern rating of 6.4 out of 10 when asked to rank concern about rollback of codes and standards compliance across the U.S.

Forty-one per cent said they had more conversations in 2025 with friends, family and colleagues about codes and standards.

Jim Pauley, President and CEO of NFPA, said: “Skilled professionals depend on codes and standards during every moment of their work.

“Having the right requirements in place at the right time is what protects workers, communities, and the built environment.

“This year’s survey shows growing unease, reinforcing that preserving—not rolling back—codes and standards must remain a top priority.”

Fifty-three per cent said a shortage of qualified candidates will be their biggest challenge at work in 2026.

The report described that figure as a 3 per cent increase from 2025 expectations.

Thirty-nine per cent cited workforce retention as a top challenge in 2026.

The report described that figure as up 8 per cent from 2025 data.

Thirty-three per cent cited a lack of knowledge sharing and collaboration on the jobsite.

Nineteen per cent anticipated their organisations would increase hiring or add jobs in the next year.

Nineteen per cent wanted their organisations focused on hiring.

Seventy-eight per cent reported membership of a professional organisation or trade association.

Forty-three per cent cited benefits from networking opportunities with industry professionals, plus professional development and training programmes.

Thirty-nine per cent valued access to industry resources and publications through memberships.

Thirty per cent cited advocacy around industry-related issues and regulations as an important membership benefit.

Intersec panel discussion spotlights AI use in frontline risk decisions

by AI & Deep LearningBreaking NewsHealth and Safety

Intersec discussion examines AI in safety-critical operations

Senior government and industry leaders at Intersec discussed how artificial intelligence is moving into everyday frontline operations in safety-critical environments.

The session, titled “AI & Safety 4.0: Rethinking Human Risk,” focused on how AI is being used in safety practices, ethical decision-making and risk management culture.

Panellists said AI tools should enhance human responsibility and leadership in safety-critical settings.

Accountability, trust and risks from reduced manual checks

Panellists described current uses of AI including predictive analytics, identifying risk patterns and triggering early warnings in complex operations.

Dr Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi said: “We delegate responsibility, but we do not delegate accountability.

“So, the employer, anybody who engages with AI or uses AI, continues to carry the accountability.”

Speakers referenced refinery cases where AI-based predictive tools were followed by a drop in manual inspections, raising concerns about over-reliance on technology and new blind spots in safety systems.

Dr Islam Adra said: “When you put ‘trust’ and ‘AI’ in the same sentence, it’s kind of an oxymoron.

“There’s a contradiction there, because AI has done a very good job building a [very] bad reputation.

“When we think of AI, especially in the workplace, we think of surveillance, we think of control, we think of monitoring, and even the replacement of workers.”

The panel was moderated by Isaac Ochulor and also included Hari Kumar Polavarapu.

The speakers urged boards and executives across the region to integrate AI into their safety strategy, treating it as part of wider safety management.

The session formed part of the Intersec Health & Safety Conference 2026, powered by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

ServiceTrade data highlights 2026 fire protection shifts for service contractors

by AI & Deep LearningFeatured NewsSafety

Why fire protection valuations may hinge on recurring revenue

ServiceTrade has shared 2026 predictions from Chief Executive Officer William Chaney on how commercial HVAC, fire protection and mechanical contractors are changing how they operate.

The company said Chaney’s perspective is based on operational activity visible through its platform, which it said runs the operations of thousands of these businesses each day.

ServiceTrade positioned the predictions around labour availability, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, pricing pressure and customer expectations.

The predictions focus on what contractors are currently doing, according to the company.

AI and data move into field workflows

Chaney said agentic AI will become standard for high-performing commercial service contractors in 2026.

William Chaney, CEO of ServiceTrade, said: “In 2026, every high-performing commercial service contractor will rely on agentic AI as a force multiplier in the field.

“Technicians will arrive with AI-built prep packs, instant access to asset information, and guided next steps, so they can focus on skilled work rather than non-billable tasks.

“Recent research shows 93% of field service organizations have already started implementing AI in operations, and 88% say it’s improving uptime and customer experience—evidence that this shift is well underway.”

Chaney also set out a case for platforms that combine operational records with real-time execution.

Chaney said: “2026 will be the year when your system of record has to become a system of action.

“Contractors who give technicians, office staff, and customers a shared, data-rich platform—facility equipment, inspections, photos, quotes, and invoices all in one place—will simply outgrow those still relying on legacy software, spreadsheets, and paper.”

He added that reporting cycles will tighten as dashboards and alerts identify operational exceptions as they happen.

Chaney said: “Automated dashboards and AI-generated alerts will surface exceptions in real time—lagging labor efficiency, overdue inspections, stalled repairs and maintenance—so leaders can act on today’s data instead of last month’s report.

“The companies that win will be the ones that tighten their decision cycle from weeks to hours.”

Labour and training pressure in 2026

Chaney said the skilled trades shortage will deepen in 2026 and he linked growth to efficiency gains in the field.

Chaney said: “The skilled trades shortage will deepen in 2026.

“Analysts estimate the U.S. will need roughly 140,000 additional electricians, HVAC pipefitters, heavy equipment operators, welders, and construction laborers by 2030 just to support infrastructure and AI data center build-outs.

“The contractors who grow fastest won’t be the ones who hire the most people—they’ll be the ones who get the most safe, high-quality, billable work from every technician through better tools, workflows, and training.

“Field Service Management software that leverages solid data and AI will be fundamental to success.”

He also said education choices are shifting towards vocational routes.

Chaney said: “In 2026, more young people will choose ‘earn while you learn’ trades over traditional four-year degrees.

“A recent Harris Poll for the American Staffing Association found that 33% of U.S. adults now recommend trade or vocational school as the best path for high school graduates, compared with 28% who recommend a four-year college.

“Since the pandemic, undergraduate enrollment in four-year programs has fallen by about 900,000 students, underscoring the shift toward solid, long-term careers that offer faster paychecks and less debt—exactly what the commercial service trades deliver.”

Fire protection revenue and consolidation signals

Chaney said recurring, compliance-based revenue will continue to command higher valuations in a volatile market.

Chaney said: “In a volatile market, recurring, compliance-based revenue will continue to command premium valuations.

“Across industries, businesses with 70–80% recurring revenue often achieve EBITDA multiples roughly two to three times higher than transaction-only peers.

“For fire protection and mechanical contractors, that means recurring inspections, monitoring, and maintenance agreements aren’t just good for cash flow—they’re central to long-term enterprise value.”

He said buyers will increasingly favour service businesses with modern systems and consistent data.

Chaney said: “In 2026, buyers will increasingly favor contractors who arrive at the deal table with modern systems, clean data, and repeatable processes.

“Private equity and strategic investors will pay a premium for technology-enabled service companies with recurring revenue, strong retention, and clear productivity metrics—because those are the businesses that scale smoothly post-close.”

Chaney also identified revenue per technician per labour hour as a central metric in 2026.

Chaney said: “Revenue per technician per labor hour will become the single most-watched KPI in 2026.

“It blends scheduling efficiency, pricing, sales follow-through, and technician productivity into one number.

“As AI and workflow automation strip non-billable tasks out of a technician’s day, the contractors who rigorously track and optimize this metric will grow faster and command higher valuations.”

Customer portals and predictive service expectations

Chaney said commercial facility customers will expect more transparent, digital service experiences by 2026.

Chaney said: “By 2026, commercial facility customers will expect consumer-grade transparency from their service partners: live job status, photo-rich reports, issue tracking, and digital approvals in a single portal.

“Contractors who can’t clearly show where they’ve been, what they found, and what happens next—in real time—will lose business to those who can.”

He said reactive break-fix models will shrink as inspection and asset data supports predictive and compliance-first service.

Chaney said: “Reactive break-fix business models will shrink as AI models learn from years of inspection, work orders, and asset data.

“Early research already shows that AI is boosting uptime and first-time fix rates for field service fleets, laying the groundwork for predictive service models.

“In 2026, the contractors who win will be those who package and sell uptime, compliance, and risk reduction—not just emergency response.”

How this could affect contractor operations

Fire-protection contractors and system installers who rely on recurring inspection, monitoring and maintenance work may view Chaney’s comments as a reminder that recurring, compliance-based revenue is being tied to valuation outcomes.

Procurement officers and facility managers in commercial environments may recognise the customer-experience elements Chaney described, including live job status, photo-rich reporting and digital approvals delivered through a single portal.

Fire safety officers and risk assessors who manage inspection evidence may also focus on the emphasis on shared records, including inspection results, photos, quotes and invoices in one place.

Training officers and instructors working with service teams may note the focus on improving billable output per technician through tools, workflows and training, alongside the use of AI-built preparation and guided next steps in the field.

Mechanical and electrical engineers involved in maintaining building systems may also watch for how “system of record” platforms are used to support real-time decision-making on overdue inspections and stalled repairs.

Survey finds Australians back AI for emergency call handling upgrades

by AI & Deep LearningCommunicationsFeatured NewsResearch

AI in call handling wins trust

Motorola Solutions said an independent research study found strong public support in Australia and New Zealand for sharing personal data with emergency services and using AI to improve emergency call handling.

The findings were published in Melbourne on Thursday 11 December 2025, following a September 2025 survey of more than 2,500 residents across the two countries conducted by Researchscape.

According to Motorola Solutions, the research was designed to inform emergency services agencies as they plan new emergency call handling and computer aided dispatch deployments.

The company said the report frames this work as a modernisation effort for emergency call handling services first introduced in the early 1960s.

Location and health data willingness

Motorola Solutions said 86% of respondents reported feeling comfortable sharing their exact location data with emergency services.

The company said 75% were comfortable sharing personal information about medical conditions or allergies.

Motorola Solutions added that 54% were comfortable sharing wearable health data from smartwatches, rings and other devices.

The report also recorded what it described as an expectation gap between public willingness to share data and beliefs about whether emergency services can receive and use it.

Motorola Solutions said expectations of capability were lower by 1% for exact location data, 20% for medical conditions or allergies and 16% for wearable health data.

AI options for emergency call handling

Motorola Solutions said 58% of respondents supported the use of AI to detect critical keywords in emergency calls, citing examples such as “knife” or “collision” to accelerate emergency response.

The company said support also extended to ranking emergency calls by urgency at 55%.

Motorola Solutions said 52% supported automatically identifying potential safety threats in live video footage and 52% supported enabling live translations of callers speaking foreign languages.

Motorola Solutions said 78% of respondents were unaware that AI technology is currently being used or developed for emergency call handling.

The company said those aware of AI usage were almost three times more likely to trust it, with 56% trust among those aware compared with 19% trust among those unaware.

Craig Anderson, Executive Chair, National Emergency Communications Working Group, said: “The Triple Zero and 111 hotlines have provided a lifeline for the public in times of crisis for more than 60 years, but the need to modernise emergency call handling technology has never been greater.

“These research findings show that communities expect emergency services to keep pace with rapid technology change, as well as clear generational shifts among younger users to provide more ways to contact emergency services in addition to voice calls.”

How people want to contact emergency services

Motorola Solutions said phone calls remain the dominant preferred method for contacting emergency services, cited by 88% of respondents.

The company said respondents also identified SMS or text messaging at 41%, smartphone apps at 38% and video calls at 15% as top alternatives.

Motorola Solutions said communication preferences differed across generations, with 95% of Baby boomers preferring traditional voice calls.

The company said smartphone apps were the preferred contact method among Millennials at 35%.

Con Balaskas, Managing Director, Motorola Solutions Australia and New Zealand, said: “In an era where we can track the arrival of rideshare services and use AI to deliver faster insights and improve our decision making, it’s not surprising that the public wants to see their emergency services make use of these innovations to help keep our communities safer.

“These findings provide valuable insights to help public safety agencies align their technology modernisation strategies with community needs and expectations, fostering stronger collaboration, better emergency management and a pathway to a safer future.”

What this means for emergency communications teams

Emergency call handling leaders and control room managers can use the reported figures to benchmark public acceptance of sharing exact location data, medical conditions or allergies and wearable health data during emergency calls.

Procurement officers and emergency communications programme leads can also use the breakdown of preferred contact methods, including SMS, apps and video, when assessing requirements for future call handling and computer aided dispatch upgrades.

Training officers and call taker supervisors may want to note the stated support for AI functions such as keyword detection, call ranking and live translation, alongside the reported trust gap between people who are aware of AI use and those who are not.

Technology and integration teams planning media-rich contact channels can also use the generational preference split, including high voice-call preference among Baby boomers and higher app preference among Millennials, when mapping channel demand and data intake needs.

Does UK construction’s AI ambitions face a reality gap?

by AI & Deep LearningBreaking NewsConstructionResearch

Managers and workers divided on AI readiness

Rapid Global has published new findings showing a major disconnect between managers and frontline workers in the UK Building and Construction sector over the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for workplace safety.

According to the company, 51% of managers believe their business is fully ready to adopt AI to improve workplace safety, compared with only 20% of frontline workers.

The research shows that 77% of managers think a unified safety system would make compliance easier, while 22% of workers believe old habits are holding back new technology.

Paper-based processes remain in use, with 18% of frontline workers and 14% of managers reporting that key safety tasks such as inductions, sign-in and incident reporting are still completed manually.

Differences in training and visibility across sites

The study highlights discrepancies in how safety visibility and training are perceived.

While 86% of workers believe managers have good visibility of safety trends and incidents, only 56% of managers agree.

On training, 50% of managers say their sites provide comprehensive onboarding, but just 24% of workers share that view.

Rapid Global said this points to inconsistency in how safety information is communicated and applied across construction sites.

Paul Rapuano, Global Strategic Partnerships Manager at Rapid Global, commented: “Construction leaders are ready to digitise, consolidate systems, and explore AI, but too often workers remain unconvinced or stuck with outdated processes.

“To reap the full rewards of new technologies like AI, the way forward for the sector has to be visible proof that technology makes safety easier, training more consistent, and worksites safer.

“That will be the ideal on-ramp for companies in the sector to see digital transformation deliver on its promise.”

Broader trends in safety technology adoption

The Rapid Global Workplace Safety 2025 Report also found that 75% of managers believe adopting new technology would reduce risk and improve safety, compared with 44% of workers.

When it comes to AI implementation, 28% of managers said the process has been slower than expected, while 25% of workers agreed.

The study found that 73% of managers think staff understand incident response protocols, compared with 59% of workers.

Rapid Global reported that 30% of managers admit to fast-tracking safety training to speed up site entry, while 14% of workers said the same.

Nearly one in five workers said safety processes cause them anxiety, and 60% do not believe their business supports positive mental health care.

Rapuano added: “UK Building & Construction firms that move to modernise safety systems, replacing paper with digital-first tools to show how AI can support, not replace, frontline expertise, will strengthen compliance, cut risks, and build the resilient worksites the sector needs.”

Relevance for fire and safety professionals

For health and safety managers, compliance officers and risk assessors in the construction sector, the findings indicate persistent operational gaps in digital safety practices.

The data shows that many construction sites still rely on paper-based processes for critical safety tasks, which may limit transparency and accuracy in incident reporting.

Differences between managerial perception and frontline experience also highlight the challenge of maintaining consistent safety communication across multiple sites.

For those responsible for implementing workplace safety systems, the research provides insight into how digital tools, including AI, could be used to standardise training and improve oversight.

The results may also inform fire-safety planning in complex construction environments where multiple contractors and reporting systems are in use.