The majority of managers (75%) were also confident AI could cut risk and improve safety, compared to less than half of workers at 44%.
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Half of managers said their sites delivered comprehensive safety onboarding but just 24% of workers agreed.
Not surprisingly, then, nearly one in five workers (18%), said safety processes caused them anxiety. A further 60% of workers said their employer didn’t support positive mental health.
Paul Rapuano, global strategic partnerships manager at Rapid Global, said: “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are ready to digitise, consolidate systems and explore AI, but too often workers remain unconvinced or stuck with outdated processes.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 work sites safer.
He added: “UK building and 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.”
Other findings
- A large proportion believed implementing AI had been slower than anticipated: 28% of managers and 25% of workers.
- A significant proportion reported inductions, sign-in and incident reporting were still managed on paper: 14% of managers and 18% of workers.
- 86% of workers said managers had good visibility of safety trends and incidents, yet only 56% of managers agreed.
- 30% of managers said they fast-tracked safety training to get people on-site quicker, but just 14% of workers saw this happening.
- 73% of managers said staff understand incident response protocols, but workers were less confident at 59%.
The research was carried out in August by market research consultancy Research Without Barriers on behalf of Rapid Global. From the construction sector, 146 managers and 88 workers were surveyed. This was part of a larger study looking across multiple sectors.
