Global steel producer Tata Steel is actively implementing artificial intelligence, connected workforce systems, and remote operations to make industrial safety more predictive. The company already uses over 10,000 CCTV cameras and AI-based monitoring systems to detect unsafe behavior and interventions before an accident occurs, one senior official reported on Friday.
Rajiv Mangal, Vice President of Safety, Health and Sustainability at Tata Steel, told PTI that most people use CCTV cameras for post-incident analysis, whereas the company aims to act proactively by preventing accidents. Tata Steel is expanding the application of AI, computer vision, and remote operations to shift the focus of workplace safety from post-incident investigation to real-time accident prevention, utilizing over 10,000 CCTV cameras across its facilities.
Over the past fifteen years, Tata Steel has achieved a 38 percent reduction in lost-time injury frequency rate across the group. Mangal specified that instead of relying solely on standard methods to monitor thousands of video feeds, the company employs AI-based surveillance to detect hazardous actions and generate immediate alerts for managers.
Furthermore, Tata Steel is rolling out its Connected Workforce platform nationwide. He noted that 'AI-enabled passes and beacons installed inside plants track personnel movement and automatically flag deviations, helping ensure that workers only enter authorized and safe zones.'
The company is also increasing the number of Integrated Remote Operations Centers (iRoCs), which allows dangerous operations in both mines and plants to be monitored and, where possible, managed remotely. Video feeds from cameras, production and equipment data, and other critical information are consolidated on large screens, reducing the exposure of workers to hazardous environments and improving coordination during emergencies.
Mangal added that remote work can also help attract younger employees to the steel industry by reducing exposure to high heat, humidity, and noise in workplaces. Artificial intelligence is also being applied to logistics safety. Approximately 8,000–10,000 trucks and trailers carrying raw materials or goods enter Tata Steel plants daily. Driver fatigue monitoring systems use cameras to detect head movements and mobile phone usage, triggering alerts and automatic warnings. The technology is also used to prevent truck collisions with high-voltage cables.
The company's digital safety systems include real-time hazard detection, IoT monitoring, predictive asset health analysis, drone usage, intelligent surveillance, and GenAI-based security monitoring. Tata Steel expects that by 2035, AI-based hazard prediction, computer vision, digital twins, autonomous inspections, wearables, and connected worker technologies will become central elements of industrial safety.
Mangal, who is a member of the World Steel Association's safety committee, emphasized that safety culture is always supported by management at Tata Steel. He stated that 'Tata Steel's performance in safety is reviewed through the Board-level Safety, Health and Environment Committee, the Risk Management Committee, and other governing forums, with safety risks integrated into corporate risk management. Safety is not driven only by the safety department. If safety is to be truly implemented, the entire management team must take responsibility.'
The company's 'Zero Harm' philosophy applies equally to contract workers, who undergo mandatory induction training, competency assessments, role-specific training, auditing, and performance monitoring. Tata Steel has invested in two safety leadership development centers and benchmarks its practices against global steel companies and other industries. Additionally, the company is broadening its safety agenda to include mental health, heat stress, fatigue, and ergonomics through a five-pillar wellness program covering physical, emotional, professional, social, and financial well-being.
Regarding decarbonization, Mangal reported that Tata Steel remains committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045 and is developing technologies such as electric arc furnaces, renewable energy, biochar, HIsarna, EASyMelt, and green hydrogen. The company conducted a large-scale pilot test of hydrogen injection into a blast furnace and established the technical feasibility of this technology; however, commercial implementation is limited by cost and availability. He noted that hydrogen prices must drop to approximately $1.5–$2 per kg from current levels of around $4–$6 for large-scale steel production to become viable.
The company estimates that its existing Indian sites have land capacity to support up to 40 million tons of capacity. However, future investments will increasingly focus on specialized products such as electric steel, heavy plates for shipbuilding, and high-quality pipeline steel, including hydrogen transport. Mangal stressed that India's abundance of iron ore and growing demand for steel create significant prospects for capacity expansion, but high logistics and infrastructure costs remain key challenges. He concluded that better road, rail, port, and waterway connectivity is crucial for sustaining the growth of the Indian steel industry.