Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 14th May 2026 Issue no. 1210

Your industry news - first

The original and best - for over 20 years!

We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.

Safety professionals worried about mass adoption of AI, reveals new report

Astutis’ newly published annual survey of health & safety professionals across the UK - the ‘Voice of Our Learners Report 2026’, has revealed that while more than 63% of business leaders are optimistic about AI's potential in health & safety, 60% say their biggest concern is over-reliance on technology versus human judgment, while nearly 40% of employees say they lack the skills to use AI tools effectively.

This year's report, says the renowned provider of health, safety & environmental training, surveyed professionals across 16 industries, split for the first time into two cohorts: Business Leaders (business owners, directors, and department heads) and Employees (managers, team leaders, and non-managerial staff). The findings reveal a profession that is broadly confident in the value of training but navigating deep uncertainty about AI adoption, workforce readiness, and where to invest next.

Other key findings include:

• Mental health rises as a priority. Mental health and psychosocial risk management is ranked alongside AI as the most important skill for the next 3-5 years, chosen by around a third of both cohorts.
• Leaders and employees see things differently. Business leaders are more optimistic about AI and more likely to say their organisation is piloting it. Employees are more concerned about skills gaps, less confident in their AI readiness, and more likely to report either active AI use or no consideration of it at all.

Steve Terry, managing director at Astutis, had this to say about the announcement:

"What comes through clearly in this year's data is that health & safety professionals are both optimistic and fearful about the impacts that new technology is going to have on their day-to-day work. They see the potential of AI, they recognise mental health as a growing priority, and they value the training that's already helped them build confidence and competence. But they're also telling us they're concerned about organisations using it as a crutch.

At Astutis, we're already investing in new learning solutions that address psychosocial risk and the evolving skills our learners will need over the coming years, and we remain steadfast in our desire to be ahead of changes in the sector."

The full Voice of Our Learners Report 2026, including detailed breakdowns by cohort and sector, is available to download at:

https://campaigns.astutis.com/learner_report_2026

16th April 2026