Safety in motion: protecting the people who move the world

Transport being selected as the theme of this month’s Safety Management magazine reflects the essential work this group does to keep the global economy in motion, and the very real risks they face from an evolving sector and a changing world. From pilots under pressure to AI and automation, the risks are wide-reaching; the consequences are too. After all, the choices we make today will define the careers and safety of millions of transport and logistics workers around the world for decades to come.

Traditionally, safety in transport has been viewed through a physical lens. How do we prevent accidents, manage fatigue, and enforce compliance? Those fundamentals will remain essential, but we cannot forget that the nature of risk is evolving. The transport workers of tomorrow will face challenges that are more complex, interconnected, and often less visible than at any other point in human history.

Mike Robinson: "Safe transport systems rely not only on robust procedures but on leaders who model the right behaviours, listen to feedback, and empower their teams."

British Safety Council has long made the case that safety is inextricably linked to both health and wellbeing. Fatigue, stress, and mental health are not abstract issues; they are critical safety factors. When a driver is distracted by financial strain or a pilot is struggling with burnout, the risks multiply. Ensuring psychological safety and fostering supportive workplace cultures are as vital to preventing accidents as any checklist or protocol.

The transport sector also faces a skills and experience challenge. As experienced workers retire and new technologies demand new competencies, ensuring that training keeps pace is crucial. A well-trained, empowered workforce is the strongest safeguard we have against occupational health and safety risks. Investment in lifelong learning and a culture that encourages speaking up about safety concerns must be at the heart of any forward-looking transport strategy.

Digitalisation and automation are transforming the way transport systems operate. AI promises greater efficiency and predictive maintenance, but it also brings new vulnerabilities, from cyberattacks to decision-making algorithms that may be opaque or biased. Electric vehicles and sustainable fuels are reshaping fleets, while extreme weather events driven by climate change are disrupting global supply chains. Each of these shifts creates new layers of risk that intersect with traditional safety concerns. In this environment, safety management cannot be static. It must evolve in parallel with technology, regulation, and workforce expectations.

That means embedding safety thinking into the design phase of new systems, not as an afterthought. It also means using data responsibly, to anticipate risk rather than react to it. Predictive analytics, wearable technologies, and connected systems offer the potential to detect hazards before they become incidents. Yet, they are only as effective as the trust placed in them by the people who use them. Building that trust requires transparency, consultation, and a genuine commitment to putting safety at the centre of innovation.

Leadership plays a decisive role, too. Safe transport systems rely not only on robust procedures but on leaders who model the right behaviours, listen to feedback, and empower their teams. Creating a culture where safety is everyone’s responsibility, where raising a concern is seen as an act of professionalism, not insubordination, is one of the most powerful levers leaders have for lasting improvement.

For all that we can look ahead to the decades and centuries that will follow our own age and consider what the world will look like at the dawn of the next millennium, its challenges and complexities will be far more than any of us can imagine. Yet, the interconnected nature of our world, a growing global economy, and the ability for quick travel to even the farthest flung corners of our planet will mean that the transport and logistics sector will still sit at the heart of the global economies of the future. So, as we move together towards that future, our job is to ensure that progress never comes at the cost of protection.

Mike Robinson FCA is Chief executive of the British Safety Council