Artificial intelligence for risk assessment in hybrid workplace and flexible work

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged the spread of remote working as an instrument to prevent the stop of work activities. Resilience has led to the adaptation of the existing work models into hybrid ones, enabling many companies to test new forms of organisation. This has led to critical issues, particularly in the management of the health and safety at work and in the sustainability of production processes, due to the contradictions in these areas, in the European legislation. At present, it is still difficult to obtain an overall framework of effects and possible risks of hybrid workplaces. In fact, in addition to traditional risks, new risks and unexplored interaction between risks and human factor are emerging. Furthermore, it highlights the need to rethink new reference figures in the safety management system. However, the benefits of increased productivity, work life balance, sustainability and environmental impact are clear. The aim of this research is to rationalize the technical knowledge and the case studies of possible risks related to hybrid workplace, in order to support the worker and the employer in the analysis of hazards and risk assessment, risk communication and prevention, through a dynamic assessment system based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). For this purpose, the current legislation has to be investigated, identifying technological solutions useful to fill some gaps for an extension of protection in new forms of remote work.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Remote Working, risk assessment, hybrid workplace, flexible work, health and safety at work, European work legislation.

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1003076