Key Facts:
- 35% of warehouse workers report seeing unreported incidents/near misses, with 26% noting reported incidents lack follow-up action
- Warehousing sector shows highest reliance on paper-based systems, with 20% using paper check-ins and 17% using paper inductions
- Only 30% of workers believe linking induction data to site access software improves workplace safety
- Trust and leadership are identified as critical factors in bridging the gap between safety policy and practice
- Research suggests safety improvements come from reducing friction and automating enforcement rather than simply adding more tools
Warehousing is acutely aware of its safety blind spots. New research reveals both workers and managers widely acknowledge missed incidents and near misses.
The Australian Workplace Safety Market Research Report, commissioned by Rapid Global and conducted by Research Without Barriers, surveyed more than 1,000 Australian safety managers, workers and contractors across high-risk industries, including warehouses.
The warehousing industry is acutely aware of its safety blind spots. More than a third of workers, 35 per cent, say they have seen incidents or near misses go unreported, and 26 per cent say some reported incidents do not result in corrective action. Despite good intent, gaps between identifying problems and taking action continue to weaken safety outcomes.
Paper remains a big part of safety workflows. The warehousing sector has the greatest reliance on paper for inductions, audits, and visitor management. For example, 20 per cent of workers use paper-based check-ins, while 17 per cent still complete inductions on paper. These manual processes increase administrative burden and can introduce human error.
Many people still don't trust automated controls. Only 30 per cent of workers believe linking induction data to site access software makes the workplace safer, and 38 per cent of workers prefer toolbox talks or team meetings for safety messages and updates. This suggests technology adoption is lagging not because of resistance, but because systems have not yet earned worker confidence.
Professor Dr Andrew Sharman, a global authority on safety culture and CEO of the International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture, says the findings reflect a familiar pattern seen repeatedly across global workplaces. "Safety is often well documented, yet not consistently felt by people on the ground," he says. "Bridging the gap between policy and practice is less about systems alone and much more about leadership. Trust is the critical differentiator."
The findings, according to Ezequiel Gonzalez, Head of Revenue at Rapid Global, demonstrate that complexity, rather than intent, increasingly shapes safety risk. "Australia has made significant progress in workplace safety, yet complacency remains," he asserts. "Complex, high-risk environments require more than simply checking boxes. " Technology should not replace human judgement but make it sharper. When systems are easier to use and data is easier to act on, safer outcomes follow."
According to the research, the organisations most likely to improve safety outcomes are not those modernising with the most tools but those reducing friction, automating enforcement, and making safe behaviour the easiest option for day-to-day reality on site.
The opportunity for warehousing leaders is to redefine safety visibility, shifting from what people are expected to notice to what systems consistently capture, analyse and act on in real time.
To access the report, please visit: https://rapidglobal.com/lp/au-market-research/
About us:
About Rapid Global
Rapid Global is an Australian AI-powered platform transforming workplace safety and compliance, with more than 7m users worldwide. Trusted by leading global companies, Rapid brings together more than 20 years of industry experience to deliver a smarter, more proactive approach to managing safety. From contractor pre-qualification and online inductions to visitor management, site access control, audits, AI-enabled camera monitoring, and incident reporting, Rapid gives organisations one connected platform to keep people safe and workplaces compliant. https://rapidglobal.com/
