Across the global energy and utilities sector, workplace incidents remain a persistent challenge. The International Labour Organization estimates that more than 2.9 million work-related deaths occur globally each year, with a significant proportion linked to preventable safety failures across high-risk industries including energy and construction. This underlines the scale of the challenge even in highly regulated environments.
While energy organisations have made substantial progress in reducing serious incidents over the past decades, the cost of safety failures remains significant. In the UK alone, work-related ill health and workplace injury cost society an estimated £20+ billion annually according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
These figures highlight a simple reality… Even with advanced systems and controls, risk in complex operational environments has not yet been eliminated.
Every safety strategy ultimately relies on human decision-making. Employees are required to assess situations, follow procedures, communicate effectively, and respond appropriately when risks arise.
Research consistently shows that human factors are involved in the majority of workplace incidents. The HSE has long reported that up to 80–90% of major industrial incidents involve some form of human error or behavioural contribution, even when technical systems are functioning correctly.
When individuals are experiencing challenges that affect their wellbeing, their ability to perform consistently can be impacted. Studies in occupational health consistently link poor mental wellbeing with reduced concentration, impaired judgement, and increased likelihood of error in safety-critical roles.
In environments where a single misjudgement can escalate into a serious incident, even small changes in performance can affect risk exposure.
The energy sector is undergoing significant transformation. The transition to renewable energy, evolving regulatory requirements, technological innovation, and growing demand for resilient infrastructure are creating new challenges for organisations and their workforces.
At the same time, workforce pressures are increasing. According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends, three-quarters of organisations globally report that workforce capability gaps are a key barrier to achieving business objectives, compounding the operational strain faced by energy organisations as they navigate rapid transformation.
As organisations scale operations and modernise infrastructure, employees are often required to adapt quickly to new technologies, systems, and working practices. Without adequate support, this can increase organisational risk through reduced consistency, slower decision-making, and higher variability in performance.
A strong safety culture is created when risk management becomes part of everyday behaviour. Employees need to remain engaged, alert, and committed to safe working practices, even during periods of change or pressure.
Research from Gallup shows that highly engaged teams experience up to 64% fewer safety incidents compared to disengaged teams. This demonstrates a clear link between workforce experience and measurable safety outcomes.
When employees feel supported, they are more likely to remain engaged with safety processes, follow procedures consistently, and contribute to continuous improvement. This directly impacts an organisation’s ability to maintain control over operational risk.
Traditionally, risk management in the energy sector has focused on operational, environmental, and physical safety risks. Increasingly, organisations are recognising that workforce wellbeing should also be considered within this framework.
The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion per year in lost productivity, much of which is linked to reduced performance and increased absence across all industries, including high-risk sectors such as energy.
When applied to operational environments, the implication is clear, factors that affect workforce wellbeing also affect organisational risk exposure.
By understanding these factors and addressing them proactively, organisations can strengthen overall risk management without changing core safety frameworks. Instead, they enhance the effectiveness of those frameworks by ensuring people are able to consistently perform at their best.
As the industry continues to evolve, organisations that take a more holistic view of risk will be better positioned to protect their people, maintain operational excellence, and achieve long-term resilience.
At Thrive Mental Wellbeing, we work with organisations across high-risk industries to strengthen workforce wellbeing and resilience. Through the use of evidence based tools, 24/7 support, and anonymised user data, we help organisations understand and improve employee experience, creating healthier workplaces that support both people and performance outcomes.
By embedding wellbeing into operational thinking, energy organisations can strengthen their approach to risk management, improve consistency of performance, and reduce avoidable operational disruption.
To learn more about how Thrive can support your organisation, visit our website today.