New Approaches to Reducing Serious Injuries, Fatalities and High Potential Events

02 Jun, 2020

Access this research

Access all EHSQ Corporate Leaders content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report

Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance

Executive Summary

After more than two decades of attempts to reduce workplace fatalities, the average decrease in such events has been very low compared to the average decrease in workplace injuries. This is a major concern for EHS managers, as it shows that traditional approaches have not had a similar and significant impact on reducing workplace fatalities. This report aims to provide EHS managers with a new analysis of influencing factors, provide insights into new approaches to reducing these fatalities and serious injuries, and suggest technologies that can aid in this endeavour. 
Firms Focus On New Mitigation Strategies As Historical Approaches Fall Short  
Old Versus New Views Of Serious Injuries, Fatalities And High-Potential Events
Technology Underpins Effective Mitigation Of Serious Injuries, Fatalities And High-Potential Events  
Technology Solutions That Address Situational Risks From Worker-Machine Interactions
Technology Solutions That Address Systemic Risks
Industry Risk-Level Categorization Helps Firms Align Resources In Tackling Serious Injuries, Fatalities And High-Potential Events
Figure 1. Heinrich’s Safety Triangle
Figure 2. Prioritization Scenarios Based On Industry Risk Category 

About the Authors

Bill Pennington

Bill Pennington

VP Research

Bill is VP Research at Verdantix, where he leads analysis on the evolving and interconnected landscapes of EHS, quality, AI and enterprise risk management. His research helps ...

View Profile
Kel Udeala

Kel Udeala

Industry Analyst

Kel is an Industry Analyst at Verdantix. His current agenda focuses on EHS, Industrial Hygiene and Occupational health software. He has a background in oil and  gas, rene...

Other related content

Webinar
EHS Specialist Software
EHS Software & Services
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
AI Platforms & Applications
3 Steps EHS Leaders Should Take To Prep...

For time-pressured EHS leaders, the challenge is not whether AI matters, but how to assess readiness, prioritise use cases, and avoid costly missteps. In this webinar, we’ll examin...

Upcoming / 07 April, 2026

Blog
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
High Turnover, Hidden Risks: Why Workfo...

Concerns around employee turnover are usually focused on recruitment costs and productivity – leaving its impact on worker safety to receive far less attention than it should. In p...

23 March, 2026

Blog
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
AI In EHS Is Still Swimming On The Surf...

EHS is drowning in AI hype, but most tools barely break the surface. 2025 marked a period of rapid advancement, with discussions evolving almost monthly and vendors releasing a wav...

18 March, 2026

Blog
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
Firms With A Strong Safety Culture Demo...

Reducing SIFs has consistently been a key priority for EHS teams, regularly featuring as respondents’ most important goal in the Verdantix global corporate survey. While long-ter...

17 March, 2026

Blog
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
Global Instability Is Turning Quality M...

In 2026, instability has become the new norm for global supply chains; organizations are busy navigating constant changes amid persistent uncertainty. Shifting US-China trade polic...

23 February, 2026

Blog
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
EHS Trends In The Chemicals Sector You ...

In the regional and industry-specific breakdown of the 2025 Verdantix global corporate survey on EHS budgets, priorities and tech preferences, respondents in the chemicals sector...

20 February, 2026