Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40646643›Full record

SynthesisSystematic reviews2025

Do occupational health and safety tools that utilize artificial intelligence have a measurable impact on worker injury or illness? Findings from a systematic review.

Arif Jetha, Hela Bakhtari, Emma Irvin, Aviroop Biswas, Maxwell J Smith, Cameron Mustard, Victoria H Arrandale, Jack T Dennerlein, Peter M Smith

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Systematic reviews, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Use of advanced technologies by occupational physicians in Brazil: a descriptive study.Revista brasileira de medicina do trabalho : publicacao oficial da Associacao Nacional de Medicina do Trabalho-ANAMT
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Arif JethaInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada. AJetha@iwh.on.ca.
Hela BakhtariInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Emma IrvinInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Aviroop BiswasInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Maxwell J SmithSchool of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Cameron MustardInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Victoria H ArrandaleDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jack T DennerleinSeargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
Peter M SmithInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board JETH2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) holds promise as a tool that can be used by practitioners in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS). This study aimed to identify AI applications specifically used for OHS and examine their impact on worker morbidity or mortality outcomes.

methodsWe conducted a comprehensive systematic review. We searched six databases to identify published quantitative studies of OHS AI applications across the hierarchy of controls that were published between years 2018 to 2024. Title/abstract and full-text screening was conducted to identify eligible studies which were then assessed for quality and risk of bias and synthesized.

resultsOf the 1255 articles identified by our search, only two met eligibility criteria; one of which was appraised as medium quality and the other as low quality. The one medium quality study identified by our review was an AI-based chatbot health promotion tool which was shown to improve musculoskeletal symptoms. Our systematic review shows that we are at the early stages of understanding the role AI can play in OHS and it may be premature to recommend the wide-spread use of AI for health and safety practice within workplaces.

conclusionThere is a critical need for future research to unpack how considerations taken in the development and adoption of workplace AI tools for OHS can determine their effectiveness in addressing worker injury or illness. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023414422.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceOccupational DiseasesOccupational HealthOccupational InjuriesHealth PromotionHumansArtificial intelligenceInjury preventionOccupational health and safety practiceTechnological adoption

Identifiers

PMID40646643
PMCPMC12247322

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.