Connect with us

Technology

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

Published

6 hours ago

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

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Technology

brightplace Brings Financial Intelligence to Apartment Search

Published

4 minutes ago

on

June 10, 2026

By

Rental Advisor now evaluates take-home pay, True Monthly Cost, renter qualification rules, local cost of living, and job-market strength across every U.S. rental market.

NEW YORK, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — brightplace, the AI-native intelligence layer informing modern apartment rental search, today announced new financial intelligence powering its Rental Advisor. The Advisor can now evaluate earning power and the full cost of renting across every U.S. rental market, directly addressing affordability, the most consistently cited concern in apartment search.

The capability arrives against a record-setting backdrop. According to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies America’s Rental Housing 2026 report, 22.7 million U.S. renter households are cost-burdened, nearly half of all renters, with 12.1 million spending more than half their income on rent. Cost pressure has spread well beyond low-income households: 49 percent of renters earning $45,000 to $74,999 are now cost-burdened, a 9.5 percentage point increase since 2019.

Apartment search has historically operated without the financial context to help renters close that gap. Listed rent is treated as the full cost of housing, even though state and local taxes, utilities, cost of living, renters insurance, and lease fees can add hundreds of dollars per month to what a renter actually pays. Listed salary tells a renter even less about whether a city is the right move.

The expanded Rental Advisor closes that gap. It estimates take-home pay against state and federal tax rates, evaluates affordability against the 30 percent income guideline, the 40x rule, and the 3x rent threshold properties use to qualify renters, and frames every recommendation around True Monthly Cost. Affordability rankings cover every U.S. rental market, with hiring activity, salary benchmarks, and cost-of-living-adjusted earning power layered in.

“Apartment search has always shown the easiest number to find: listed rent,” said Brian Lichtenberger, founder and CEO of brightplace. “Listed rent is not the same as affordability, and listed salary is not the same as earning power. The most consequential recurring financial decision most people make every year is made with incomplete information.”

True Monthly Cost is the actual monthly cost of renting an apartment: listed rent plus utilities, renters insurance, and recurring fees like pet rent and parking. It runs 15 to 30 percent higher than listed rent and now anchors every Rental Advisor conversation.

Sample prompts the Rental Advisor now answers include:

“I’m moving to Austin for a job paying $82,000. What rent range can I realistically afford after taxes and local costs?”

“Compare Austin, Denver, and Raleigh for someone earning $47,000. Where does my income go furthest?”

“I’m a new grad deciding between Tampa, Charlotte, Nashville, and Raleigh. Which city has the best balance of hiring, salary, rent, and cost of living?”

“What is the True Monthly Cost of a $2,200 apartment in Phoenix once utilities, insurance, parking, and pet rent are included?”

Because affordability is evaluated before a renter reaches a property, the same intelligence can improve the lead quality operators receive. Renters who arrive having already screened themselves against True Monthly Cost and their earning power are less likely to pursue apartments that were never realistically within reach, which can reduce tour cancellations, application drop-off, and lease-up friction.

“This is the difference between an interface that returns listings and an intelligence layer that informs decisions,” added Lichtenberger. “The next generation of apartment search will help renters understand which markets, jobs, neighborhoods, and apartments actually work for their lives.”

The expanded Rental Advisor is live now at app.brightplace.ai.

About brightplace

brightplace is the AI-native intelligence layer informing modern apartment rental search. It combines property and unit data, financial intelligence, neighborhood context, and renter reviews to deliver advisor-grade rental guidance across every U.S. market. brightplace’s Rental Advisor surfaces this intelligence directly to renters, while operators and partners can integrate the same intelligence across the rental ecosystem. brightplace launched publicly in April 2026 and was selected for the inaugural RET Ventures PropTech AI Accelerator. brightplace is headquartered in New York. For more information, visit brightplace.ai.

Media Contact
Katie Mikles
Content and Brand, brightplace
405-625-6289
416490@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brightplace-brings-financial-intelligence-to-apartment-search-302795862.html

SOURCE brightplace

Continue Reading

Technology

TGE Accelerates Optimisation of Asset‑Liability Structure

Published

4 minutes ago

on

June 10, 2026

By

PARIS, NEW YORK, and LONDON, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AMTD Group Inc. (“AMTD Group”), AMTD IDEA Group (“AMTD IDEA”) (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB), AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) and The Generation Essentials Group (“TGE”) (NYSE: TGE; LSE: TGE), a subsidiary of AMTD Digital Inc., jointly announce that TGE has reduced the gearing of its hotel portfolio through cash settlement of HKD89.5 million (approximately US$11.4 million) loans, further optimising its asset‑liability structure.

This debt reduction reflects the ongoing strategic goal of TGE and the broader AMTD Group to strengthen the balance sheets by ongoing gearing reduction, enhancing asset quality through the acquisition and management of high‑quality hospitality assets, and stepping up overall returns. By focusing on lowering leverage and reinforcing a solid asset base, TGE aims to establish a more resilient corporate platform and deliver sustainable long-term value to shareholders.

About AMTD Group

AMTD Group is a conglomerate with a core business portfolio spanning across media and entertainment, education and training, and premium assets and hospitality sectors.

About AMTD IDEA Group

AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) represents a diversified institution and digital solutions conglomerate group, connecting companies and investors with global markets. Its comprehensive one-stop business services plus digital solutions platform addresses different clients’ diverse and inter-connected business needs and digital requirements across all phases of their life cycles. AMTD IDEA Group is uniquely positioned as an active super connector between clients, business partners, investee companies, and investors, connecting the East and the West. For more information, please visit www.amtdinc.com or follow us on X (formerly known as “Twitter”) at @AMTDGroup.

About AMTD Digital Inc.

AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) is a comprehensive digital solutions platform headquartered in France. Its one-stop digital solutions platform operates key business lines including digital media, content and marketing services, investments as well as hospitality and VIP services. For AMTD Digital’s announcements, please visit https://ir.amtdigital.net/investor-news. 

About The Generation Essentials Group

The Generation Essentials Group (NYSE: TGE; LSE: TGE), jointly established by AMTD Group, AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) and AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD), is headquartered in France and focuses on global strategies and developments in multi-media, entertainment, and cultural affairs worldwide as well as hospitality and VIP services. TGE comprises L’Officiel, The Art Newspaper, movie and entertainment projects. Collectively, TGE is a diversified portfolio of media and entertainment businesses, and a global portfolio of premium properties. Also, TGE is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsor manager, with its first SPAC successfully raised and priced on December 18, 2025.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor”provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,””anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,””estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, plans, and expectations of AMTD IDEA Group, AMTD Digital and/or The Generation Essentials Group, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the filings of AMTD IDEA Group, AMTD Digital and The Generation Essentials Group with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and none of AMTD IDEA Group, AMTD Digital and The Generation Essentials Group undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For more information, please contact:

For AMTD IDEA Group:
IR Office
AMTD IDEA Group
EMAIL: ir@amtdinc.com 

For AMTD Digital Inc.:
IR Office
AMTD Digital Inc.
EMAIL: ir@amtdigital.net 

For The Generation Essentials Group:
IR Office
The Generation Essentials Group
EMAIL: ir@tge.media

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tge-accelerates-optimisation-of-assetliability-structure-302796745.html

SOURCE AMTD IDEA Group; AMTD Digital Inc.; The Generation Essentials Group

Continue Reading

Technology

CompScience Releases New Whitepaper on Modernizing Safety Training for a Multi-Generational Workforce

Published

4 minutes ago

on

June 10, 2026

By

“From Boomers to Zoomers: Rethinking Safety Training for a Multi-Generational Workforce” explores how organizations can reduce risk, improve retention, and strengthen workplace safety across four generations of workers.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, CompScience, a business insurance provider pairing coverage with AI-powered risk mitigation, released its new whitepaper, “From Boomers to Zoomers: Rethinking Safety Training for a Multi-Generational Workforce.”

The report examines one of the most significant workforce shifts in modern history: the convergence of Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z working side by side for the first time in modern history. This is further complicated by a growing number of “unretired” workers returning to the workforce due to economic necessity.

As organizations face rising operational complexity, labor shortages, shifts in technology, and evolving workplace expectations, the whitepaper argues that traditional “one-size-fits-all” safety training programs are no longer effective. Instead, companies must adopt adaptive, personalized training strategies that reflect the distinct communication styles, learning preferences, and work values of each generation. CompScience based their analysis on successful implementations at leading industry companies such as GE, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, and more.

“Workplace safety practices are a matter of life and death,” said Josh Butler, CEO and Founder of CompScience. ” It’s critical that organizations account for generational dynamics in their approach to safety training. Companies can harness the unique strengths of a multi-generational workforce to unlock untold potential, but a failure to do so can lead to inconsistent behaviors, lower engagement, and ultimately increased workplace risk.”

The whitepaper outlines how leading organizations are modernizing safety and workforce training through:

Blended learning models that combine in-person and digital trainingCross-generational mentorship and reverse mentoring programsPersonalized and adaptive learning pathwaysMulti-channel communication strategies designed for diverse workforcesHow AI and technology play a part in improving safety outcomes

Notably, the report highlights how organizations are using generational diversity as a strategic advantage to improve collaboration, retention, and safety outcomes.

The report also examines the growing trend of “unretirement,” with approximately 20–25% of retirees returning to work, creating new workforce planning and safety considerations for employers navigating rapidly evolving technologies and workplace environments.

CompScience explains how AI-powered computer vision and behavioral risk analytics can help organizations create more adaptive safety cultures by identifying risky behaviors in real time and reinforcing safer work habits across all experience levels.

Built by leaders with backgrounds from organizations including Liberty Mutual, Zurich Insurance Group, Chubb, and AIG, CompScience combines its proprietary artificial intelligence, computer vision, claims management, and occupational safety expertise to help companies proactively reduce injuries and improve workplace safety performance.

Click here to read the full whitepaper, “From Boomers to Zoomers: Rethinking Safety Training for a Multi-Generational Workforce.”

About CompScience

With a mission to prevent 1 million injuries in the next decade, CompScience is a technology-enabled managing general agent (MGA) transforming workers’ compensation insurance through AI-driven workplace safety and advanced underwriting. Its integrated platform aligns underwriting, risk management, and safety performance, enabling more accurate risk selection, better loss outcomes, and broader coverage solutions for clients. By leveraging technology to continuously improve workplace safety, CompScience helps employers reduce claims, lower total cost of risk, and access high-quality workers’ compensation coverage tailored to their operations. For more information, visit their website or Linkedin page.

Media Contact
Blaire Swayze
Director of InsurTech Comms & PR
T Palmer Agency
blaire@tpalmeragency.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/compscience-releases-new-whitepaper-on-modernizing-safety-training-for-a-multi-generational-workforce-302796744.html

SOURCE CompScience

Continue Reading

Trending