Connect with us

Technology

Workers sound alarm on major industrial disaster risk as ‘near misses’ increase, new research finds

Published

on

Half of workers report rising risk of major industrial disaster’Near misses’ on the rise, driven by worker stress and fatigueHalf of UK workers are too afraid to speak up on safety in the current climateSix in ten workers say leaders are out of touch with frontline safety risksRising drug and alcohol misuse is emerging as a major workplace safety threat

BLYTH, England, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New research published today as part of the annual Dräger Safety & Health at Work Report has outlined a rising risk of a major industrial disaster, with more than half (53%) of respondents suggesting that the risk of such an event in their sector is higher today than it was ten years ago.

The report, which is now in its sixth year and based on independent research commissioned by Draeger Safety UK, part of The Dräger Group, an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology, also explores the rise of ‘near misses’ in workplace safety, with half (51%) reporting that such events have increased in the last two years.

When it comes to the reasons behind the concerning findings, global volatility and uncertainty appear at least partly to blame, with almost three-quarters (72%) saying that supply chain disruptions have made it harder to obtain parts, materials, or support, and a further 69% reporting that global uncertainty has increased stress and fatigue, contributing to workplace errors or unsafe behaviours.

Frequent organisational changes or strategy shifts, driven by external volatility, are also making safety harder to manage, according to 61% of those taking part in the research, with global uncertainty increasing operational pressure, making it harder for people to focus on safety-critical tasks.

Respondents also report that staff fatigue, pressure to do more with less, as well as rising stress levels among workers and a reluctance among employees to speak up, are also to blame for the rise in near misses.

Perhaps most concerningly, almost two-thirds (63%) of ‘front line’ workers say that their employers don’t understand just how bad things have become ‘on the ground’ when it comes to workplace safety.

Matthew Bedford, Managing Director, Draeger Safety UK, said: “Over the past six years, the landscape of workplace health and safety has continued to shift, shaped by the immediate disruption of the pandemic, ongoing financial pressures, global instability, and changing workforce expectations as new generations enter employment.

“The findings of the 2026 report reflect a wider environment of ongoing global uncertainty and volatility, and concerningly, suggest that the ‘perfect storm’ of factors affecting workplace safety and health, as highlighted in last year’s report, may be closer to becoming reality than is comfortable.

“If there is one clear message for health and safety professionals, it is that the warning signs are now unmistakable. It is imperative that organisations listen and act.”

Other key findings of The Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2026 include:

Psychological safety:  Encouragingly, more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) believe that their organisation is making efforts to actively engage and involve staff in health and safety matters. However, this positive picture is tempered by concerns about how able people feel to speak up in reality.More than half of respondents (53%) say that the current economic climate makes them less willing to raise health and safety issues or to challenge leadership decisions.Over half of Gen Z respondents (54%), and 51% overall, believe that individuals who raise health and safety concerns are viewed as troublemakers and are perceived negatively by their employer.Trust and the rise of individualism: The research highlights an overwhelming 91% of respondents who say they place the greatest trust in themselves when it comes to their own safety.This is followed by trust in safety technology (84%) and employers (76%). Confidence drops sharply beyond this core circle, with only 25% expressing trust in the Government and just 23% in AI to keep them safe.Although this trend might ordinarily be viewed as positive, reflecting individuals taking greater ownership of their own personal safety, the current climate indicates a different story. With workers facing ever-increasing pressure, alongside higher levels of stress and growing fatigue, this emphasis on individual responsibility risks becoming a dangerous combination, undermining collective vigilance and shared accountability for safety.Drug and alcohol misuse: The research suggests that this is a growing and multifaceted safety challenge, and one that demands not only clear policy and proportionate controls, but also generationally sensitive approaches to awareness, engagement and intervention.Younger workers (aged 18–29) were most likely to report noticing an increase in colleagues’ use of drugs and alcohol, with 54% identifying this trend, compared with just 22% of respondents in the oldest age group.Overall, there is strong recognition that drugs and alcohol can compromise workplace safety, but this is most pronounced among older workers: 96% of Baby Boomers (over 62) agree that substance misuse has the potential to negatively impact safety, compared with 78% of Gen Z (18-29) respondents.

Notes to Editors

Dräger. Technology for Life® 

Dräger is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology. Our products protect, support, and save lives. Founded in 1889, Dräger generated revenues of around € 3,5 billion in 2025. The Dräger Group is currently present in over 190 countries and has more than 16,000 employees worldwide. Please visit http://www.draeger.com for more information.

About the research

This research was conducted across 1000 respondents in UK organisations with 50+ employees during March 2026. The research was commissioned and funded by Drager Safety UK and conducted independently by Insight Avenue UK.

Press Contacts
Gillian Gibbons
gillian@wychwoodcommunications.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/workers-sound-alarm-on-major-industrial-disaster-risk-as-near-misses-increase-new-research-finds-302794100.html

SOURCE Draeger Safety UK

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Opsera Launches VIBEshift to Move AI-Generated Applications from Prototype to Production with a Single Command

Published

on

By

New autonomous deployment agent eliminates the last mile between AI-generated code and production-ready software.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Opsera, the leader in AI-powered software delivery, today announced VIBEshift, a new autonomous deployment agent that turns AI-generated applications into production-ready software with a single command. VIBEshift lets developers, AI builders and enterprise teams eliminate the last mile between rapidly generated prototypes and secure, deployable applications running in production environments.

Generative AI has dramatically accelerated software creation, with tools like Claude, Cursor and Lovable enabling the creation of functional applications with unprecedented speed. Yet moving AI-generated applications into production remains complex. Teams still face manual processes to set up infrastructure, deployment pipelines, security controls and operational oversight.

VIBEshift operates directly within the developer workflow to autonomously analyze applications, provision infrastructure, and deploy production-ready code. It addresses the need for developers to move from prototype to production without waiting on operational teams.

“AI has forever changed how software is created, but deployment remains a major bottleneck in software delivery,” said Kumar Chivukula, co-founder and CEO of Opsera. “Now, developers can generate working applications in minutes and transform them into secure, production-ready software without days of manual effort and specialized expertise. By eliminating that last mile to production, organizations can move from idea to production with Vibe-style simplicity and speed.”

VIBEshift executes deployments autonomously, from provisioning infrastructure and configuring authentication to validating deployments and performing operational checks. It manages CI/CD tasks traditionally handled by multiple teams and tools.

Key VIBEshift capabilities include:

Autonomous Deployment: Automatically provisions infrastructure and deploys applications to production-grade cloud environments directly from the IDE with a single command.Built-In Security and Governance: Applies security controls, authentication and deployment policies throughout the deployment process.Self-Healing Operations: Automatically identifies and remediates deployment failures to improve reliability.Full Auditability: Maintains detailed deployment records and operational logs for governance and compliance requirements.Deterministic Execution: Delivers consistent, repeatable deployment outcomes through policy-driven automation.

VIBEshift supports modern AI development workflows and integrates with leading IDEs, source code repositories and cloud platforms, enabling organizations to deploy applications with the tools and environments they already trust.

VIBEshift expands Opsera’s growing portfolio of AI-powered software delivery solutions, helping enterprises operationalize AI-driven development. Working alongside Opsera AppSec Agents, which automate security scanning, compliance validation and governance controls, VIBEshift helps teams move beyond software creation to secure, scalable deployment and governance of AI-generated applications.

Availability

VIBEshift is available immediately by visiting: https://opsera.ai/agents/vibeshift/ 

About Opsera

Opsera helps enterprises operationalize AI-driven software delivery through its AI-SDLC platform, combining intelligent orchestration, operational intelligence, and an open ecosystem of AI tools and partners. By understanding the intent and context of development workflows, Opsera empowers teams to embrace spec-driven development and leverage agentic workflows to automate complex  pipelines safely. By helping customers navigate their AI journey at their own pace, Opsera enables organizations to govern, measure, and scale AI-generated software with confidence

Media Contact:
Terri Douglas
tdouglas@catapultpr-ir.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opsera-launches-vibeshift-to-move-ai-generated-applications-from-prototype-to-production-with-a-single-command-302796099.html

SOURCE Opsera

Continue Reading

Technology

Interwell Health Delivers Strong Quality Scores and Shared Savings in CMS Value-Based Kidney Care Model

Published

on

By

Interwell achieved top quality scores and sustained savings growth over the first three years of the Kidney Care Choices Model

BAD HOMBURG, Germany, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Interwell Health, the value-based care operating segment of Fresenius Medical Care, has released new results showcasing exceptional performance in the U.S. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model1. As the largest participant in the Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting (CKCC) program option, Interwell delivered $273 million in shared savings2 to the government program and consistently achieved top quality scores (88% average, 9 points higher than non-Interwell CKCC participants) over the first three years of the program, solidifying its leadership in value-based kidney care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released new data that highlights Interwell’s strong results in the CKCC program:

Industry-leading quality: Largest share of high performer pool (44% of three-year total), with the most high performers and most perfect scores in 2024Outstanding financial results: 43% higher three-year average adjusted gross savings rate compared to non-Interwell Kidney Care Entities (KCEs)Scalable growth: Increased gross savings 1 percentage point year over year while serving the largest patient population (in 2024, Interwell served 59,520 patients across 23 KCEs)

“Our leadership in the CKCC program further validates that Interwell Health is setting the standard for kidney care,” said Tommy O’Connor, CEO of Interwell Health. “Our consistent quality results and ability to improve patient outcomes at scale demonstrate that value-based care transforms lives and delivers significant savings to the healthcare system. When you combine a compassionate network of patient-centered nephrologists with Interwell’s hands-on care model and advanced technology, patients win.”

Year-over-year improvement and industry leadership

CMMI developed the KCC Model to test strategies that increase care coordination for Medicare patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) while improving outcomes and reducing total cost of care. Since the program’s inception, Interwell has consistently delivered measurable improvements in quality metrics including:

Higher rates of optimal dialysis starts, which measures the percent of patients who transition from late-stage CKD to ESRD care by starting dialysis at home, starting dialysis in-center with permanent dialysis access, or receiving a preemptive kidney transplantImproved Patient Activation Measure (PAM) scores, which measure a patient’s knowledge and confidence in managing their healthIncreased use of home-based therapies, which measures the percent of patients who start dialysis at home instead of in-center

Additionally, Interwell grew its gross shared savings rate 71% over three years (3.6% in 2024 from 2.1% in 2022), reflecting the growing financial success of the CKCC Model as it matures.

Interwell supports nephrology practices in the CKCC with resources including embedded renal care coordinators (RCCs), clinical documentation support, and advanced analytics. “Without an RCC I don’t know how this program would work, because the RCCs do so much in terms of increasing optimal starts and engaging family members,” said Dr. William McElhaugh, a nephrologist at Kidney Care Specialists. “We also use Acumen®, Interwell’s electronic health record system, which allows us to see patients’ medical histories to ensure that they are risk stratified properly, which you need to do to be successful in a value-based program.” Kidney Care Specialists is part of the Interwell Philadelphia KCE, one of only five KCEs to earn a perfect score in the 2024 program year.

Interwell’s ongoing success in value-based kidney care is powered by its robust network of more than 2,300 nephrologist partners, comprehensive care model, proprietary Epic® Connect EHR platform Interwell Acumen™, and tight alignment with Fresenius Medical Care. Together, these capabilities enable a sustainable approach to kidney disease management that reduces costs and improves outcomes across the care continuum.

About Fresenius Medical Care:

Fresenius Medical Care is the world’s leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which around 4.5 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment. Through its network of 3,539 dialysis clinics, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for approx. 290,000 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or dialyzers. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange (FMS).

For more information visit the company’s website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.com.

About Interwell Health:
As a leading provider of value-based kidney care, Interwell Health is on a mission to reimagine healthcare to help patients live their best lives. Interwell, the value-based care operating segment of Fresenius Medical Care, is setting the standard for the industry by producing sustainable savings and driving exceptional quality results at unmatched scale. The company leverages a two-pronged approach that includes total patient care and provider enablement to serve patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) from stage 3 to kidney failure. In partnership with more than 2,300 nephrologists, the Interwell interdisciplinary care team leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to personalize care for patients.
To learn more, visit interwellhealth.com.

Disclaimers:
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, legal changes, regulatory approvals, results of clinical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Epic and Epic Connect are trademarks of Epic Systems Corporation. Acumen® has licensed an instance of Epic EHR software but is otherwise not affiliated with Epic Systems Corporation.

1 The statements contained in this press release are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document.
2 Savings fully reflected in prior years’ financial figures reported by FME

Media contact
Christine Peters
T +49 160 60 66 770
christine.peters@freseniusmedicalcare.com

Kirsten Stratton
T +1 781 929 8096
kirsten.stratton@freseniusmedicalcare.com

Contact for analysts and investors
Dr. Dominik Heger
T +49 6172 609 2525
dominik.heger@freseniusmedicalcare.com

www.freseniusmedicalcare.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interwell-health-delivers-strong-quality-scores-and-shared-savings-in-cms-value-based-kidney-care-model-302796191.html

SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

MovingWaldo Acquires MoveMate.ca and Gvota.ca to Become Canada’s Leading Digital Moving Platform

Published

on

By

The acquisitions add MoveMate and Gvota’s brands, traffic, and digital presence to MovingWaldo’s national network, extending coverage across 14 Canadian markets.

MONTREAL, June 10, 2026 /CNW/ – MovingWaldo, Canada’s leading digital moving concierge platform, today announced the acquisitions of MoveMate, a Montreal-founded moving marketplace, and Gvota.ca, a Quebec-based platform specializing in connecting customers with local moving services. These transactions bring together three established players in Canada’s digital moving ecosystem, reinforcing MovingWaldo’s position as the go-to platform for residential and long-distance moves.

MovingWaldo now operates in 14 Canadian markets, including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa, while supporting nationwide and cross-border Canada-U.S. moves. The platform works with more than 100 verified moving partners and serves customers from leading Canadian enterprises across real estate, financial services, and property management.

“These acquisitions reflect a strategic step to position us as the clear national leader,” said Guillaume Lahoud, CEO and Co-Founder of MovingWaldo. “Bringing MoveMate and Gvota into our platform strengthens our footprint, particularly in Quebec, and consolidates demand so every Canadian gets access to a better moving experience.”

MoveMate was founded in Montreal and grew into a nationally recognized moving marketplace, expanding into the United States and building partnerships with major Canadian retailers. The company built a technology-driven booking system that prioritized transparency and customer experience.

Gvota.ca established itself as a trusted platform in Quebec, helping thousands of customers efficiently find and compare local moving services. Its strong local presence and SEO-driven customer acquisition model complement MovingWaldo’s national growth strategy.

“From day one, our focus was on simplifying the moving experience for Canadians,” said Lucas Francioli, Founder and CEO of MoveMate. “This outcome reflects the dedication of our team and the strength of the platform we built. Seeing it live on within MovingWaldo means that vision continues at a national scale.”

The acquisitions add complementary technology, traffic, and brand assets to MovingWaldo’s existing infrastructure. Customers gain broader geographic coverage, a larger network of vetted moving partners, and a more seamless and transparent booking experience.

About MovingWaldo

MovingWaldo is Canada’s leading digital platform for comparing moving quotes and booking verified movers online. The company simplifies the moving process by allowing customers to receive transparent pricing, compare options side-by-side, and secure their move through a streamlined, technology-driven booking experience.

MovingWaldo also enables real estate, mortgage, and rental platforms to seamlessly integrate moving services into their customer journey. Notable partners include QuadReal, Rentsync, Desjardins, Centris, Pillar To Post, PropertyGuys, and nesto.

SOURCE MovingWaldo

Continue Reading

Trending