CINCINNATI, OH -- Benchmark Gensuite, an early innovator in AI-forward digital management solutions for Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), released new research that shows workplace injury frequency and severity are increasing at two to three times last year’s rate, with 90 percent of incidents, hazards, or near misses going underreported.

The 2026 EHS Benchmarking Report highlights how increased demand, workforce shortages, and emerging responsibilities are straining EHS teams – leading to a new level of risk on the frontlines.

“EHS leaders are battling rising injury rates as demand skyrockets and the workforce dwindles. With new responsibilities further complicating roles, teams are strapped for time when it comes to proactive risk mitigation,” said R. Mukund, Founder and CEO of Benchmark Gensuite. “In this high-stakes environment, traditional tools and processes aren’t keeping pace. Our research shows advanced AI adoption is mission-critical for EHS leaders as they balance workplace safety with other emerging priorities. No business can afford injury reduction to take a back seat.”

The findings from more than 260 EHS professionals highlight a safety function increasingly dependent on AI to manage expanding responsibilities and rising risk. As sustainability workstreams, emergency preparedness, and total worker health priorities converge under the EHS role, leaders report greater difficulty maintaining consistent oversight and mitigating risk early using traditional, manual approaches. As a result, organizations are accelerating the use of AI-powered analytics, automation, and intelligent workflows to surface early warning signs, improve reporting accuracy, and maintain compliance at scale, without equivalent increases in headcount.

Key findings from Benchmark Gensuite’s 2026 EHS Benchmarking report include:

• Workplace injuries are rising sharply year over year: 45 percent report increased injury frequency, up from 18 percent last year, while 39 percent report increased injury severity, compared to 13 percent the year prior – representing a two- to threefold increase. Increased demand (44 percent) and workforce issues (42 percent) are now the leading contributors to incidents, followed by time shortages (33 percent) and insufficient training (32 percent).

• AI adoption is accelerating as teams adapt to rising complexity: 92 percent of EHS leaders report using generative AI and 86 percent report using agentic AI in day-to-day work. Generative AI is most often used to summarize incident or near-miss reports (50 percent) and support compliance documentation or audits (48 percent), while agentic AI is being applied to predictive insights and automated alerts (44 percent) and workflows that help triage reports and guide next steps (37 percent).

• Incident underreporting has reached critical levels, eroding visibility into risk: 90 percent report workplace incidents, hazards, or near misses are going underreported, up from 79 percent last year. 45 percent estimate that up to a quarter of employees are not reporting incidents at all. In parallel, 39 percent of EHS leaders say they are missing early signals of risk – such as near misses or worker feedback – that are critical for preventing more serious incidents or regulatory issues down the line.

• Sustainability and governance responsibilities are reshaping the EHS role: 46 percent say their teams have taken on additional oversight for reporting, compliance, or cross-functional collaboration tied to environmental and governance expectations, while 26 percent report these responsibilities have grown without additional resources. Sustainability now ranks as the top factor making EHS roles harder (39 percent), surpassing regulatory pressure and labor shortages (both 36 percent).

• Emergency preparedness demands are expanding: 52 percent of EHS teams have updated or expanded emergency response plans to address a broader range of risks – including supply chain issues, cyber incidents, extreme weather, and facility disruptions – while 27 percent say emergency management responsibilities have grown even as formal plans struggle to keep pace.

• Total worker health is becoming a strategic safety priority: 49 percent of respondents plan to place special emphasis or invest in total worker health and wellness in the next 12 months, recognizing the role of mental, emotional, and operational wellbeing in preventing incidents. Many organizations already offer wellbeing training (49 percent), fatigue risk monitoring or shift management (45 percent), and mental health or stress-management resources (44 percent).

For more insights into the current state of workplace safety and how EHS teams are responding, download the 2026 EHS Benchmarking Report, EHS Pressure Point: Rising Complexity, Shrinking Resources, and the Shift to AI.