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Making the Business Case for Safety Innovation with Video Analytics for Ergonomics

Video analytics for ergonomics use artificial intelligence and computer vision to assess how workers move and work, helping identify posture risks, repetitive strain and unsafe lifting practices. By analyzing video footage, these systems can identify ergonomic risk factors that may need further investigation, highlight the tasks with the greatest risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and suggest modifications to make these tasks safer (see Emerging Technologies for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders for more information).

Current evidence shows the return on investment is negative across many use cases. The upfront and ongoing costs of these systems, including software, training and internal resources, often exceed the measurable financial gains from injury reductions or productivity improvements in a five-year timespan. Rather, the value of video analytics for ergonomics often lies in its strategic and operational benefits, rather than direct financial return, such as:

• Proactive risk reduction: Enables earlier detection of posture and movement risks, helping create a safety culture that can improve worker morale, retention and organizational reputation.
• Compliance and future readiness: Positions the organization ahead of evolving regulations, providing a future compliance advantage.
• Process and design insights: Highlights inefficient or unsafe movements that can inform improvements to workspace design.
• Productivity gains: Moving away from manual or paper-based ergonomic evaluations can create a more consistent, data-driven approach to ergonomic risk assessments while improving efficiency.