Enthusiasm for AI accompanied by caution, as 90% of safety professionals agree guardrails are needed

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming operational in workplace safety programs, but most safety professionals say clear guidelines should be set, according to a report released today by the National Safety Council and Wolters Kluwer Enablon.

The Safety Shift: EHS Readiness in 2026 reveals the status and perceptions of AI across core EHS activities including incident prediction, hazard identification, compliance, analytics and reporting. However, this excitement is tempered by caution regarding overreliance and the importance of human judgment in decision-making. 

While there is strong interest in adopting AI in EHS activities, more than half of surveyed organizations have not yet established the fully digital foundation needed.

“Digital tools and AI are becoming more commonly embedded in workplace safety programs, but findings show organizations are still working to connect systems, improve data quality and balance new risks alongside operational responsibilities,” said Jay Vietas, senior director of research at NSC. “Effective adoption of these principles will be instrumental for EHS professionals to make workplaces safer in the years ahead.”

The report is based on survey responses from 1,053 professionals across EHS, operations and risk management roles in U.S. industries.

Key findings include:

• Concerns are widespread: 90% report concern about the implications of AI use, including 65% citing overreliance as a key risk
• AI adoption is now mainstream across EHS programs: 20% report extensive AI integration within EHS programs, while 62% report moderate or limited use
• Readiness is high but uneven: More than 80% say their organizations are mostly or fully ready to deploy AI, including 42% who consider themselves fully ready
• Digitization remains incomplete: Only 11% report being in fully digital EHS systems; 71% operate in hybrid environments that combine digital and manual workflows

Despite progress most organizations remain in transition, limiting the effectiveness of AI due to fragmented data and inconsistent systems.

“Organizations have made meaningful progress digitizing foundational safety processes, and many are now using AI to analyze and apply that data,” said Raj Jayaraman, Vice President, Product Management, Wolters Kluwer Enablon. “What the results make clear is that technology alone is not enough. Effective EHS programs depend on strong data foundations, clear governance and maintaining human accountability as analytics and AI become more widely used.”

The report also highlights how organizations define risk. While 87% agree mental health belongs within the EHS mandate, near-term priorities remain focused on operational risks such as fatigue, infectious disease and an aging workforce.

As AI adoption expands, the report underscores a growing imperative for both safety and technology leaders; ensuring advanced tools supplement, not replace, human expertise.

The report is based on a survey conducted in early 2026, among professionals in EHS, operations and risk management roles across U.S. industries, including manufacturing, energy, construction, transportation and life sciences.

To access the full report, visit here.

About the National Safety Council 
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives. 

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©2026 National Safety Council

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SOURCE National Safety Council