Digital solutions for workplace safety: An empirical study on their adoption in Italian metalworking SMEs

Occupational safety is a critical aspect of the manufacturing sector, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, which often face a safety divide compared to large companies due to significant differences in resources and awareness. Digital solutions can provide interesting support for dealing with specific hazardous situations and improving safety performance. However, there is a digital divide based on company size when it comes to the adoption of innovative digital solutions by small and medium-sized enterprises. This digital divide could widen the safety divide. To bridge these divides, the present research, through an extensive survey conducted among employers of Italian metalworking small and medium enterprises, explores various digital solutions and their potential to tackle hazardous situations in the workplace; it also addresses barriers and drivers influencing the adoption of the solutions and evaluates the results against different contextual factors characterizing the studied enterprises. Key barriers adopting digital solutions include the lack of perceived benefits, privacy concerns, implementation difficulties, and cost. On the other hand, the clarity and trustworthiness of the data collected and the ease of use of a digital solution can support the adoption. The study offers academic and managerial insights and contributes to the debate on the transition to Industry 5.0.