A new global report shows that process safety challenges are worsening as facilities age and experienced workers retire, but artificial intelligence is increasingly playing a role in improving safety.
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Sphera’s 2025 Process Safety Report found that confidence in managing major accident hazards has fallen. Only 27% of organizations say they are “very confident” in reducing risk, down from 35% last year, and 9% say they have no confidence at all.
At the same time, companies are leaning more on technology to close that gap. Sixty-four percent of respondents say digital tools are already helping their business, and 42% are using or planning to use AI. Nearly a quarter said AI is improving their safety programs, while 29% are using it to connect risk data across multiple sites.
“Today, the process safety industry stands at a crossroads,” said Paul Marushka, Sphera’s CEO and President. “Aging infrastructure, workforce attrition and increasing operational complexity are pushing traditional safety solutions to their limits,” he said. “Our newest Process Safety Report shows that leadership in this area is more critical than ever. Leaders must move beyond endorsing safety initiatives to owning them, ensuring that digital systems and AI tools are being carefully embedded to support operational decision-making.”
The report, based on feedback from 300 senior process safety professionals across six countries, shows that companies using third-party partners are also further along in their digital maturity. Fifty-five percent rely on outside providers, and these firms are more likely to use AI and more confident in managing risks.
Sphera’s research concludes that while risk assessment software is now common, the next step is to connect data across assets and use AI to predict and prevent major incidents before they occur.
