Safety technology for small businesses

January 25, 2026

“Small and medium-sized businesses are at an elevated risk for workplace injuries.”

That’s why the National Safety Council, through its Work to Zero initiative, published “A Small Business Guide to Safety Technology: Practical Strategies for Beginners, Growing Teams and First-Time Adopters.”

Kenna Stanley, a senior research associate at NSC, is the guide’s author. “We know that small employers need support,” Stanley said. “We really wanted to get in there and arm them with the knowledge and the framework so that they can apply technologies in a really scalable, easy-to-understand way.”

Here, we’ve pulled together a quick look at the guide. (Want to read it in full? Go to nsc.org/worktozero to download it.)

Safety innovation journey

For its structure, the guide relies on Work to Zero’s “safety innovation journey” – a five-step roadmap designed to help employers identify and successfully adopt safety technologies.

The steps:

1. Assess your risk

2. Identify technological solutions

3. Determine your readiness

4. Make the business case

5. Launch a pilot and implement

The guide lists the various types of safety technologies, such as wearables and artificial intelligence, along with examples of potential uses.

It also includes a trio of appendices (A, B and C).

Appendix A is intended to supplement workplace risk assessments by helping employers engage with workers about the potential hazards they see and other topics. It includes these questions:

• Are there any areas in the workplace where you feel unsafe or uneasy?

• Do you experience any discomfort, pain or strain during or after work?

• Have you ever witnessed or been involved in a near miss – a situation that almost caused an injury or incident?

• Are there any safety rules or procedures that are unclear or difficult to follow in practice?

• What changes or improvements would you suggest to help make our workplace safer?

Appendix B has sample questions for employers to ask potential safety technology vendors. The list is designed to help gauge:

• Technological fit and effectiveness

• A vendor’s support services

• Cost and licensing

• Implementation and maintenance

• Data and privacy

The final list was developed to help employers get feedback from workers when a new technology is piloted or implemented.

An advantage for small employers

NSC notes one advantage that small employers may have over larger ones: They’re uniquely positioned to foster regular, personal engagement with their teams.

“Employee engagement doesn’t have to mean formal meetings or structured safety huddles – it can also happen during everyday conversations,” the guide states. “Use these moments to ask about the challenges your workers are facing, the types of hazards they encounter, procedures that may not be working or tools that could make their jobs better.

“Toolbox talks, quick check-ins or anonymous surveys can all encourage open feedback, especially for concerns that might be hard to voice out loud. Most importantly, engagement should be ongoing.”

A culture of innovation

Engaging workers is also one part of creating a “culture of innovation,” according to NSC. Others: making transparency a key concern, avoiding punitive use with safety technologies and identifying a “digital champion” – an employee who can support a technological implementation.

Again, small employers may have an edge over larger organizations in creating that culture of innovation.

“I think small businesses have an advantage in a couple ways,” Stanley said. “First, with fewer decision-makers and

bureaucracy, they can pivot and innovate more quickly and with less resistance. Leadership is naturally more visible in small companies, which makes it easier to form relationships, build trust and engage their workers in new initiatives.”

Reducing cost

The guide details ways that small employers can help reduce their technological expenses:

• Collaborative purchasing with other employers, trade associations or local networks

• Tax incentives and credits

• Insurance rebates

• Financing from technological vendors

Small and medium-sized employers also can look for grant and funding opportunities to help defray costs.

Helpful information for all organizations 

Although the guide is intended for small employers, Stanley said much of the information can apply to any employer.

“A lot of these frameworks and recommendations are really applicable to all organizations, so it’s a great resource,” she said. “I think it’s great for any organization that’s interested in trying a new technology but maybe doesn’t know where to start or how to actually implement it.”