Unveiling and mitigating the impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies on workers’ health and safety: A Delphi study

• Experts identified 42 critical impacts classified as requirements, risk factors, and adverse effects. • Cognitive, organizational, and technological demands emerged as key requirements in Industry 4.0. • Psychosocial factors were identified as the main risk factors affecting workers’ safety and health. • Stress, mental fatigue, and fear of replacement were identified as major adverse effects. • Mitigation strategies were proposed, emphasizing worker-centered policies, targeted upskilling, and participatory OSH. Introduction: The technological transformations brought by Industry 4.0 (I4.0) have driven profound changes in production systems and organizational environments, reshaping working conditions and directly affecting workers’ health and safety. Therefore, it is necessary to understand these impacts to face the emerging challenges they pose. This study aimed to identify the most significant impacts of I4.0 on workers and to propose guidelines to mitigate the related health and safety challenges. Method: A three-round Delphi study was conducted with academic experts to reach consensus on the most critical impacts through iterative quantitative and qualitative feedback. Results: The results revealed 42 significant impacts, emphasizing increased cognitive requirements, growing psychosocial concerns, and repercussions on mental aspects, while traditional physical risk factors were not considered relevant. Based on these findings, a set of suggested recommendations was formulated to assist companies, organizations, and governments in developing strategies to better manage these impacts. Conclusions: These proposed guidelines seek to promote safer and more adaptive work environments aligned with the new demands arising from the advancement of digital transformation and sociotechnical systems. Practical applications: The study provides insights into the human and organizational challenges imposed by Industry 4.0, identifying priority areas for attention and offering directions to support safety and health management practices.