Sphera launches AI tools after survey flags safety delays

Sphera has launched new artificial intelligence-based environment, health and safety tools as it published research showing widespread disruption linked to the late identification of operational risk.

A global survey of 500 EHS professionals found that 97% said their organisations had experienced disruption or production delays over the past year because risks were identified too late. Of those, 63% reported one or two such incidents, while 34% said they had faced three to five.

UK results were higher, though based on a smaller sample of 53 respondents. In that group, 62% said their organisations had experienced three to five disruptions or delays because risks were identified late.

Fragmented systems remain a major obstacle for companies trying to monitor changing operating conditions, according to Sphera. Among organisations without fully integrated systems, 93% spend at least one hour a week manually connecting risk information, and 28% spend six to 10 hours doing so.

The new products are intended to connect information from process safety and operations so businesses can detect warning signs earlier. They also extend to incident reporting, chemical management, and maintenance, repair and operations data governance.

One of the new offerings, Sphera AI Dynamic Risk Management, is designed to connect risk signals across process safety and operations. Sphera said this allows teams to see where exposure is building and assess when operating conditions move beyond assumptions set in approved Hazard and Operability studies.

The aim is to help users identify weaknesses in safeguards, procedures and risk controls before problems develop into serious incidents. Sphera framed the release around the need for earlier action rather than post-incident response.

Research findings

The survey points to a broader issue for EHS teams, with safety and operational information often stored in separate systems and workflows. That separation can make it harder for businesses to understand how risk is changing across sites and processes.

The findings suggest many organisations are still relying on manual work to piece together a picture of operational risk. For businesses with limited system integration, that can slow decision-making when conditions are changing quickly.

Paul Marushka, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sphera, linked the product launch directly to the company's survey findings.

"Speed to identification is everything when it comes to preventing serious safety incidents," said Paul Marushka, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sphera. "The warning signs are often already in the data, but recognizing them too late can have significant consequences for people and operations. We can connect those risk signals across process safety, operations, chemical management, incident reporting and MRO, so organizations can see where exposure is building, understand where action is needed and intervene before an incident occurs. With Sphera AI, EHS leaders move from reacting to incidents to preventing them."

Product scope

Alongside dynamic risk management, Sphera is expanding its chemical management software. The additions are intended to help teams review chemical information, identify risks earlier, evaluate possible exposures and apply controls across operations.

A separate tool, the Sphera AI Agent for Chemical Management Reporting, is designed to help users locate specific chemical information more quickly. Sphera said this should support faster decisions and follow-up work.

The company has also introduced an AI tool for incident reporting in workplace safety. It is intended to help frontline workers and contractors record more complete and consistent information about safety events.

In maintenance and asset management, Sphera launched the Sphera AI Agent for MRO Data Governance. The tool is aimed at improving the quality and completeness of maintenance data to support mechanical integrity and safer operations.

Sphera said it serves 8,500 customers and more than one million users across 100 countries. The survey findings and product launch highlight the scale of the challenge facing EHS teams as they try to detect operational risk before it disrupts production or leads to a more serious safety incident.