Companies are increasingly striving to improve their sustainability performance while maintaining high standards of workplace safety, but there are several ways of balancing these demands – such as hiring rather than purchasing safety equipment, to minimise waste and conserve resources. 

Safety and sustainability are both increasingly key, and often inseparable, components of modern corporate strategy, particularly when considering ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) priorities. As a result, the two functions are frequently at the forefront of modern and progressive business agendas.

When it comes to the role of safety in building resilient and sustainable businesses, the relationship between the two functions plays a core role - protecting workers from harm, fostering psychological safety, and ensuring safety in the supply chain. Indeed, health and safety professionals will be familiar with the overlap between the two in aspects such as the procurement of safety equipment, total cost of ownership and ensuring sustainability throughout the safety supply chain. 

Competing for resources?

However, we live in an increasingly volatile and uncertain world where the relationship between safety and sustainability is often tested, and the two can find themselves competing for resources and for attention at Board level.

In the Dräger Safety and Health at Work report 2023, sustainability was cited as one of the most likely issues to be competing with safety as a business priority, with nearly half, 47 per cent, of those who took part in the research citing this as the most likely function to be competing with safety.

However, more encouragingly, a majority of participants taking part in the research (62 per cent) believe that sustainability positively impacts safety and that the two can comfortably co-exist. Meanwhile, less than one in ten (eight per cent) thought that the sustainability agenda negatively impacts safety and believe that the two cannot co-exist.

Safety first

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a key consideration in safety procurement, particularly in government tenders, where suppliers of safety equipment are frequently required to demonstrate and evidence their work towards net zero goals.

However, it is important, in the urgency to demonstrate the sustainability and provenance of safety equipment, that the primary focus remains on keeping people safe and preserving life. For example, as UK manufacturers of breathing apparatus, Dräger is producing safety equipment such as self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighters at its facility in Blyth, Northumberland. These devices must tolerate extreme temperatures, and when it comes to certain high-performance components, such as flame-resistant polymers or specialist elastomers, more sustainable alternatives are not yet available without jeopardising performance.

So, while as a business, Dräger is fully committed to reducing its environmental impact throughout the company and to finding parts and materials which are sustainably produced or sourced, we cannot risk compromising the key role, i.e. safety, of our equipment, and, in such scenarios, the quality of products and safeguarding life must take priority.

Total cost of ownership

The subject of quality leads to the topic of total cost of ownership, which is increasingly important when acquiring safety equipment, and the impact of which should not be underestimated in the context of sustainability. Clearly, the quality of equipment can vary, but buying the cheapest isn’t necessarily the most cost-effective in the long run and certainly is often not best for the environment. When it comes to consumable parts, such as sensors or batteries, there can be significant differences in the lifespan of these parts, and the frequency with which they may need to be replaced can make the difference between good and poor value in the long term, and hence adherence to corporate sustainability. 

In addition, the frequency of replacing parts has further environmental considerations. These include the increased waste and landfill implications and higher transport emissions related to logistics and servicing. 

There is also a high risk of operational and financial impact dependent on how quickly and easily replacement parts can be acquired, and any resulting lost productivity and inability to deliver orders, which may also ultimately affect corporate reputation.

The circular economy aims, in essence, to extend the lifecycle of products, and safety manufacturers like Dräger are playing their part by committing to meet requirements (wherever practicable) for sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling materials and products, to extend the product lifespan for as long as possible. As part of this process, the option to rent equipment that is not used regularly, for example during pipeline shutdowns in the energy industry, provides a more sustainable route to procurement of safety devices in certain circumstances. This is because the equipment is re-used, reducing environmental impact by minimising waste, conserving resources, and promoting efficient use of equipment.

In a similar vein, Dräger encourages customers to regularly service safety equipment to extend its lifespan. While ensuring that tests are undertaken in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines is clearly an essential element of the standard operating procedures for any equipment, undertaking regular maintenance and calibration can also prolong the life of the equipment and reduce the replacement interval, thus further supporting the circular economy.

Workforce attitudes to sustainability 

When it comes to workforce perceptions, one of the more concerning findings from our more recent research for the Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2025 indicated a notable difference in generational attitudes towards corporate approaches to safety and sustainability. Specifically, the research suggested the rise of ‘Gen C’, our term for a cynical generation in the workplace, where younger workers have a high expectation that businesses will own responsibility and take their environmental promises seriously.
 
The independent research for our annual report also shows that six out of 10 workers believe that their employer is engaged in ‘greenwashing’ to some extent, suggesting this is an important consideration for the safety sector as the issue moves up the corporate agenda. Such behaviour by businesses risks undermining trust in genuine sustainability efforts (and other efforts around issues such as safety) and can damage the broader employer-employee relationship, which in turn can threaten a preventive and holistic safety culture in the long term. This lack of trust risks creating a workplace environment where employees do not report or share safety concerns and are less likely to seek help and support for issues such as mental health challenges or drug and alcohol misuse, all of which, in turn, have the potential to impact safety.
 
The research makes clear that younger generations expect businesses to take their responsibilities seriously and to be sincere in the delivery of their pledges, whether in relation to safety or the environment. It will be important for companies to ensure that genuine commitments to issues such as safety and sustainability are an integral part of the corporate strategy in 2026, with transparency and open communication at the heart of such policies.

Regardless of generational perceptions and the global instability and volatility that currently exists, it’s important that the relationship between safety and sustainability operates in partnership. Ultimately, their shared objective is to protect people today, without compromising our collective future wellbeing. When safety professionals and sustainability leaders work together, we have a better chance of balancing the long-term sustainability of our planet with the task of keeping our workplaces safe. 

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