SIEMENS says embedded sensor technology could make Australian workplaces the safest in the world.

Siemens released the Picture the Future 2030 safety research, which indicated that workplace fatalities and a marked rise in industrial injuries is costing Australian companies over $57 billion every year.

Workplace incidents, according to the report, equate to one death per working day, or 280 deaths per year. The agriculture, construction, transport and logistics and manufacturing industries account for the majority of safety-related incidents in Australia.

Siemens attributed the alarming trend to the over-casualisation of labour, with over 25 percent of Australia’s workforce now made up of part-time or casual workers.

By introducing embedded sensor devices in clothing or uniforms of workers, Siemens says machines and vehicles will be able to detect potential operators, and shut down if the worker in question is not properly trained to use it.

There will no longer be a need for yellow lines or barriers. Sensor systems will detect if workers enter an unauthorised or dangerous zone, machines will be able to match operators to qualifications, and detect the use of safety equipment, like goggles.

Siemens expected the advanced sensor technology identified in the research to be made available within the next decade and predicts that this type of technology that will become commonplace in many industrial settings by 2030.