Call for Papers: Occupational Health and Digital Safety
As industrial and corporate landscapes become increasingly digitized, the intersection of technological advancement, worker protection, and data ethics demands immediate attention. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance is seeking articles that explore the transformative power of digital tools and analytics to improve safety and health outcomes in occupational settings.
This e-collection focuses on the application of mHealth, wearable sensors, and real-time analytics to monitor physical hazards, reduce ergonomic strain, and support mental well-being across diverse work environments. Occupational health at scale is public health, and digital tools can help reach that scale in occupational health with broader public health impacts.
By bridging the gap between digital health and occupational health, research in this area prioritizes the hierarchy of controls, using data-driven insights to move beyond a reliance on personal protective equipment toward systemic prevention and the elimination of risks at the source. This aims to foster proactive, human-centered safety cultures while addressing the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence (AI)–driven or data-informed management systems and the critical balance between worker protection and data privacy.
Submissions to this call for papers include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Using Internet of Things (IoT) and fixed sensors to identify environmental threats (heat stress, air quality, or radiation) before exposure occurs
- Digital twins and automated systems that isolate workers from machinery or hazardous processes
- AI-powered analysis of movement data to redesign workstations and eliminate repetitive strain at the source
- Digital interventions that monitor psychosocial risks and promote mental well-being in remote or high-pressure environments
- Frameworks for ensuring transparency, consent, and the protection of workers’ personal health information in monitored spaces
- Evaluating the impact of algorithmic management on safety outcomes and worker agency
- Approaches on how digital feedback loops can empower workers and shift organizational focus from compliance to prevention
Submission and publication process:
Submit your paper to the new section in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance by selecting “Occupational Health and Digital Safety” in the “Section” drop-down list. See the article How do I submit to a theme issue? in our Knowledge Base and consult our Instructions for Authors for more information.
All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process, and accepted articles will be published as part of the e-collection, “Occupational Health and Digital Safety.”
All peer-reviewed articles will be made immediately and permanently open access.
Articles will be made immediately available in JMIR Preprints (with a DOI) if the authors select this option at submission.