A recurring challenge among our customers is the transient nature of contractor personnel, leading to significant gaps in contractor safety management.
A study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine found that workers in precarious employment face an 81% higher risk of occupational injury or illness than those in stable positions.
Additionally, 32.3% of supply chain disruptions stem from subcontractors, highlighting the critical need for improved contractor safety management—especially in high-risk U.S. industries where outsourcing is prevalent. Given the contractor-to-permanent staff ratio of 3:1, ensuring compliance and worker safety is more important than ever.
Key safety challenges in contractor workforces
Unfortunately, the likelihood of safety incidents among this workforce continues to rise due to various factors, including but not limited to:
- High-risk jobs: Specialized tasks with greater risk exposure are frequently outsourced to third-party contractors.
- Frequent staff turnover: Contractor workers tend to leave or change their jobs more frequently than permanent staff members.
- Lack of visibility of contractors' activities: Contractors often work in difficult-to-observe and remote locations.
- Incomplete or inaccurate safety records: Several factors, including fear of losing their job, ignorance of reporting processes, or a lack of confidence in the company's safety culture, can increase the contractor employees’ propensity to underreport safety incidents in full and accurately. The full degree of safety concerns may be underestimated as a result of incomplete or erroneous reporting, which may also delay the adoption of safety controls in a timely manner.
Accelerating contractor safety with AI
Utilizing Intenseye's AI-powered EHS management software to oversee contractor safety performance brings substantial benefits. Our software continuously analyzes work areas to identify unsafe acts and conditions that may not be immediately visible. Upon detecting risks, your EHS teams receive real-time notifications, enabling immediate actions to mitigate hazards. Intenseye allows you to set safety KPIs, automate safety operations, and notify on-duty facility teams, simplifying contractor safety management processes.
This can improve overall safety performance while also reducing the probability of injuries. We observe this improvement in various measurable ways.
Smarter allocation of scarce EHS resources to coaching
By automating workplace safety analysis with computer vision AI, businesses can better utilize limited resources, reducing the need for human supervision across vast geographic areas—an especially significant concern for our global multinational customers. With real-time leading safety indicators from Intenseye, EHS teams focus on targeted coaching programs tailored to specific contractors.
Enhanced effectiveness and efficiency of engagements with the temporary workforce
Intenseye’s AI-powered safety management software enhances training by providing real-time leading safety indicators, immediate risk-based feedback, and insights into areas for improvement, thereby reducing training durations while improving safety compliance.
One of our leading automative customers piloted Intenseye at four of their plants, leveraging AI-powered leading safety indicators to trigger corrective action plans.
After adopting AI, plants using AI for workplace safety management recorded a TRI rate of 1.56—a 44% improvement over non-AI zones, where the rate was 2.81.
They have employed Intenseye’s trend analysis to enhance frontline workforce interaction and engagement. Now that they have empirical, unbiased data, the gap between frontline employees and management has been closed, providing greater visibility into safety hazards within their facilities.
This real-life example provides a clear picture of the benefits of AI for contractors, particularly during the critical first few weeks of onboarding and hazard assessment across different site locations. Intenseye’s heatmaps equip EHS teams with precise insights into high-risk patterns, highlighting areas where safety concerns are most concentrated. This data-driven approach enables more targeted, risk-based training sessions, ensuring interventions are both strategic and impactful.
Using data-driven metrics to enhance contractor EHS performance
Measuring EHS performance has traditionally been challenging, with most metrics being lagging (post-incident) by nature. Intenseye’s AI-powered workplace safety management software provides quantifiable leading safety indicators. Data-driven analysis identifies best practices, enabling clients to share these practices seamlessly across shifts or locations, resulting in more accurate, real-time assessments of contractor EHS performance.
This accelerates learning cycles and improves contractor safety proactively.
Addressing safety blind spots in contractor work
One facility observed a spike in ‘Restricted Height Alerts’ during contractor maintenance activities.
Preventative maintenance was underway at the facility, a task typically carried out by outside contractors. Upon recognizing potential risks, the leadership team took immediate action, conducting a thorough investigation to identify the root causes of unsafe behaviors and actions. Working closely with the contractors, they swiftly developed and implemented the following Safe System of Work measures:
• Proactively planning maintenance and non-routine activities through a robust work permit system, while clearly communicating associated risks to ensure necessary controls.
• Assessing risks in advance with the team using an LMRA (Last Minute Risk Assessment) or DRA (Dynamic Risk Assessment), as part of the permit-to-work mechanism.
• Collaborating with contractors through refresher safety toolbox talks and targeted inductions helps reinforce awareness of key risk areas.
• Providing appropriate equipment, such as full-body harnesses with life-lines and ladders.
• Increasing field control inspections and coaching given to the contractor and maintenance teams.
As a result, maintenance was completed on time with zero injuries, leading to revised SOPs, optimized maintenance scheduling, and improved contractor oversight.
A strong safety culture that values employee well-being and encourages active participation in safety programs can significantly reduce workplace injuries. This culture engages all staff members, including contractors and temporary employees, in active participation in safety programs.
Intenseye’s AI-powered EHS management software enhances contractor and temporary workforce safety by delivering real-time, data-driven feedback, pinpointing areas for improvement, and automating performance assessments tailored to teams operating across vast geographic regions.
To explore how AI can transform your safety operations, schedule a demo with our team today!
