The newly released Verdantix Global Corporate EHS Survey 2026 shows that preventing serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) is and will remain a top priority for EHS professionals over the next two years at least.
A total of 43% of survey respondents say it is their most important EHSQ operational goal, putting it well ahead of the next-ranked priority of better monitoring of EHSQ regulatory changes, at 13%. A further 45% rate SIF prevention as “very important” and reducing the occurrence of SIFs has maintained a top-three ranking in the past five Verdantix surveys.
But preventing SIFs requires more than identifying hazards. Organizations need to make sure hazards and controls are visible where work happens, at the frontline, before high-risk tasks begin.
Managing hazardous energy
SIFs have many contributing factors, including limited visibility into SIF precursors, a lack of real-time insight into the effectiveness of controls and barriers, and ineffective contractor qualification and oversight.
Among all factors, hazardous energy requires particular attention. Identifying high-energy hazards, sometimes referred to as STCKY (Stuff That Can Kill You), is a critical first step in anticipating and preventing SIFs. Whether the sources of energy are electrical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, hydraulic, pneumatic, or others, uncontrolled hazardous energy can have severe consequences when workers are exposed.
Identifying these hazards and having the right controls in place is a cornerstone of an effective SIF prevention strategy. But it is only the beginning.
Organizations must also ensure workers and contractors can see these hazards, understand the required controls, and make sure they are in place before work begins.
Preventing SIFs related to lockout/tagout failures
Lockout/tagout (LOTO), or isolation management, is one of the most effective ways to control hazardous energy.
Earlier this year, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) hosted two independent SIFs Prevention Working Session meetings, one in Chicago and another in Washington D.C. These sessions focused on understanding why existing hazard controls have typically not been enough to prevent SIFs related to falls from heights and LOTO failures.
A SIF Prevention Convening Report was produced from both sessions summarizing the findings. A critical gap was identified between having safety requirements in place and effectively applying them. The following insights are especially relevant:
- “The gap is not a lack of rules, it is a failure to translate hazards, standards, and controls into simple, visible, executable work at the point of task.”
- “Hazards are not visible enough at the point of work. Workers, supervisors, and designers do not always see the energy source, the changing anchor condition, or the task-specific exposure.”
These observations highlight an important challenge for SIF prevention: more is required beyond documenting hazards, standards, and controls. Critical safety information must be seen and understood by workers and contractors at the point of work. Hazardous energy sources, required isolations, and associated controls must be visible before work begins.
The value of digital permit to work
Safety-critical information must reach the frontline and be visible at the point of work. Permit-to-work (PtW) software can bridge this gap by bringing critical hazard and control information directly into workflows for hazardous tasks.
Digital permits put important information on hazards, risk assessments, controls, and isolations directly into the hands of frontline workers through mobile devices. Automated workflows ensure workers and contractors can review and acknowledge required steps before hazardous work begins, helping translate safety requirements into clear, executable actions.
The value of digital permits extends beyond information captured in the permit itself. Integrating a PtW system with incident management can dynamically surface applicable lessons learned from previous incidents and near misses involving hazardous energy. Precautions identified through incident investigations can be incorporated into the permit, giving workers relevant safety insights before a task begins.
Organizations can also bring external knowledge into the permitting process. For example, integrating external sources such as the Energy Institute’s Toolbox incident database can provide access to lessons learned from incidents beyond the organization. This helps ensure permits draw on both internal experience and industry-wide knowledge to strengthen hazard awareness at the point of work.
PtW is the least digitalized EHS process
Digitalizing PtW systems is a big step toward strengthening SIF prevention efforts. Earlier this year, Wolters Kluwer Enablon and the National Safety Council (NSC) surveyed more than 1,000 senior EHS leaders across the United States for The Safety Shift: EHS Readiness in 2026 report.
According to the report, only 30% of respondents say they have digitalized their PtW systems, making it the least digitalized EHS process. Digitalization rates for other processes range from 35% to 58%, including SDS management (58%), audits and inspections (54%), compliance and regulatory reporting (54%), and incident management (50%).
Preventing SIFs requires making critical hazards, controls, and safety information visible at the point of work while PtW—the EHS process that brings this information into the frontline workflow—is the least digitalized.
Digitalizing permit to work can advance these two priorities at same time. The result strengthens SIF prevention by creating greater visibility to hazards and controls at the point of work, while also accelerating digital transformation of EHS management.