Encouraging Safety 4.0 to enhance industrial culture: An extensive study of its technologies, roles, and challenges

This decade, workplace safety has emerged as a priority area for research and development. In the evolving global landscape, businesses are trying to establish a secure work environment to enhance employee morale, reduce absenteeism, improve productivity and stimulate innovation and progress. This can be accomplished by adopting Safety 4.0, incorporating advanced digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, blockchain, virtual reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), and more. These technologies significantly enhance manufacturing productivity, industrial growth, and workplace safety. The implementation of Safety 4.0 is poised to improve worker safety and reduce workplace accidents. However, one of the critical issues facing industries implementing Safety 4.0 is the integration of advanced technologies like IoT, AI, and robotics into the existing safety systems while maintaining cybersecurity. Global industrial businesses have taken proactive measures to integrate workplace safety into their organisational culture across various sectors, such as manufacturing, utilities, and the resources industry. Employees actively contribute to creating and maintaining a safe work environment. This study extensively reviewed safety 4.0 and its associated technologies by exploring relevant literature from platforms such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. This paper examines the critical technologies of Safety 4.0, discusses their features, and identifies potential and significant roles in manufacturing and sustainability. Safety 4.0 is a comprehensive platform with user-friendly interfaces, enabling thorough safety management. Safety 4.0 offers integrated monitoring, reporting, and signal identification features, facilitating streamlined case management and producing verified outputs for prompt and periodic reports. These technologies can proactively identify and forecast potential safety hazards, such as machine malfunctions before scheduled maintenance or the accumulation of materials leading to operational disruptions. Wearables and other Safety 4.0 technologies can also alert staff to potential safety risks, such as overexertion or approaching hazardous work areas. Managing data-driven safety measures and training employees to use these technologies efficiently can be challenging. This study-based article emphasises real-time, proactive solutions and the revolutionary influence of Safety 4.0 technologies on industrial safety. Safety 4.0 combines real-world applications with insightful analysis of current issues and potential future developments for safer, more intelligent workplaces.