Scientist's AI Breakthrough Aims to End Workplace Fatalities

CHICAGO, IL – March 24, 2026 – In a significant recognition of artificial intelligence's life-saving potential, Dr. Julia Penfield, Chief AI Officer at VelocityEHS, has been honored as the Overall Winner in the Innovative Individual category at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards. The award celebrates her pioneering work in applying AI to one of the most stubborn challenges in modern industry: the prevention of serious workplace injuries and fatalities.

For more than two decades, the rate of fatal workplace incidents in the United States has remained tragically stagnant, even as overall injury rates have fallen. This persistent gap highlights a failure of traditional safety methods to address the root causes of the most severe events. Dr. Penfield’s work at VelocityEHS represents a paradigm shift, moving the focus from reactive compliance to proactive, AI-driven prevention.

A New Standard for AI Excellence

The Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards, presented by the Business Intelligence Group, recognize individuals and organizations that are successfully transitioning AI from experimental concepts to practical, real-world solutions. The rigorous selection process, judged by a panel of industry experts and thought leaders, focuses on innovation, real-world impact, and the potential to transform industries.

“AI has arrived. 2026 is about execution, accountability, and results,” said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer for the Business Intelligence Group. “Dr. Penfield stood out because her work reflects where the market is headed: practical AI that solves real problems, earns trust, and delivers measurable value. This recognition highlights a leader who is helping define what meaningful progress looks like.”

This award places Dr. Penfield and VelocityEHS at the forefront of a movement dedicated to deploying AI for societal good, validating their approach in a competitive and rapidly evolving field.

The Architect of Safety AI

Dr. Penfield’s journey to becoming a leader in EHS technology is built on a foundation of deep academic and industrial expertise. With a Ph.D. in the Application of Machine Learning from the University of British Columbia and extensive experience leading data science programs at one of Canada's largest energy providers, she brought a unique blend of scientific rigor and practical application to VelocityEHS. Her prior work involved complex predictive modeling for energy demand, asset failure prediction, and generation forecasting.

At VelocityEHS, she has cultivated an environment where this rigor is paramount. Her team incorporates university researchers into product development and collaborates closely with certified ergonomists, safety professionals, and industrial hygienists. This ensures the AI models are not just statistically sound but also grounded in the realities of the workplace. The scientific validity of her team's work is underscored by seven peer-reviewed publications, including two in the prestigious journal Nature Scientific Reports, and contributions to 14 U.S. patents for AI-driven injury prevention.

This commitment to ethical and effective AI is central to her mission. “As AI scientists, we have an obligation to use every tool available to keep people safe at work,” Dr. Penfield stated. “If AI can identify hidden risks and prevent serious incidents before they happen, choosing not to use it isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a failure of responsibility.”

Beyond Compliance: The Technology in Action

The technology born from Dr. Penfield's leadership is the AI-enabled Accelerate® Platform, a comprehensive suite of tools designed to embed intelligence directly into the daily workflows of safety professionals and workers. The platform's intelligence layer, VelocityAI, powers a personified assistant named Vēlo that delivers real-time guidance.

This isn't generic AI. The solutions are purpose-built for the high-stakes environment of Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS). Independent research firm Verdantix recently recognized VelocityEHS as a “forerunner in AI-enabled EHS software” in a March 2026 case study, praising its strategic roadmap across five critical risk domains. The report highlighted specific AI-driven tools that are transforming incident management, including:

• AI PSIF Insights: Automatically analyzes incident reports to flag indicators of Potential Serious Injuries and Fatalities (PSIFs), ensuring high-risk events receive immediate attention.
• AI Root Cause Identifier: Moves beyond surface-level analysis to help investigators uncover the fundamental systemic factors contributing to an incident.
• AI Corrective Action Advisor: Recommends effective preventive measures based on a vast dataset of historical incidents and industry best practices.

Beyond incident management, the technology tackles risk proactively. The Ergonomics Solution uses AI-powered 3D Motion Capture to analyze worker movements with a precision impossible through traditional 2D methods, identifying risks for musculoskeletal disorders. For contractor safety, AI-Driven Document Review can process safety records and compliance documents up to seven times faster than manual methods, streamlining vetting without sacrificing diligence.

Building Trust in High-Stakes AI

Despite the promise of AI, widespread adoption in safety has been slow. A 2024 Gallup poll found only 6% of U.S. employees reported AI-related safety enhancements at their jobs. Barriers include concerns over data quality, cultural readiness, and a lack of trust in 'black box' algorithms. VelocityEHS is tackling this challenge head-on by championing a human-in-the-loop philosophy.

“AI doesn’t improve safety on its own, people do,” said Matt Airhart, CEO of VelocityEHS. “Dr. Penfield has built models that bring human expertise and AI together in a way customers trust. Technology built by scientists gives organizations confidence that these solutions will help protect their people. We’re proud to celebrate this award with her.”

This approach ensures that AI serves as a powerful assistant, augmenting the knowledge of safety professionals rather than attempting to replace them. By making the AI's reasoning transparent and its outputs actionable, the company builds the confidence necessary for organizations to rely on the technology when lives are on the line.

The Broader Impact and the Road Ahead

While the current impact of AI on national safety statistics may be nascent, its potential is immense. One 2025 analysis projected that AI automation could prevent over 160,000 occupational injuries annually in the U.S. within the next five years. The work of Dr. Penfield and VelocityEHS is a critical step in realizing that potential.

By providing sophisticated, scientifically validated tools to over 19,000 organizations, the company is helping to protect more than 10 million workers worldwide. The insights generated by their AI platform are enabling a fundamental shift from a culture of reactive compliance to one of proactive, data-driven prevention. As this technology continues to evolve and gain adoption, it holds the promise of finally bending the curve on the serious injuries and fatalities that have resisted decades of conventional safety efforts.