A recent Wolters Kluwer Enablon and National Safety Council survey found more than 80% of safety professionals say their organizations are ready to adopt AI, yet 90% report at least one concern
Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving rapidly from experimentation to everyday use in environment, health and safety (EHS) programs, but growing adoption is paired with concern about AI overreliance and the need for human-in-the-loop, to preserve judgment among other reasons.
Findings from a newly released survey by Wolters Kluwer Enablon, in collaboration with the National Safety Council (NSC), show that while most safety professionals say their organizations are ready to deploy AI across EHS systems, many still rely on hybrid digital- and paper-based EHS processes that limit AI adoption and effectiveness.
“Our study shows that technology alone is not enough,” said Raj Jayaraman, Vice President of Product Management at Wolters Kluwer Enablon. “Effective EHS programs depend on strong data foundations, clear governance, and maintaining human accountability as analytics and AI become more widely used. Organizations have made meaningful progress digitizing foundational safety processes, and many are now using AI to analyze and apply that data.”
The research report, The Safety Shift: EHS Readiness in 2026, is based on survey responses from 1,053 professionals working in EHS, operations, and risk management roles across U.S. industries.
“EHS leaders are navigating a period of significant transition,” said Jay Vietas, Senior Director of Research at the National Safety Council. “Digital tools and AI are becoming embedded in safety programs, but organizations are still working to connect systems, improve data quality, and balance new workforce risks with longstanding operational responsibilities.”
AI adoption is becoming mainstream across EHS processes
The findings show AI has moved beyond pilot projects. Many organizations are already applying AI to core EHS activities including incident prediction, hazard identification, regulatory compliance, analytics, and reporting.
Key research observations include:
- AI is widely in use:
- 20% report extensive AI application within EHS programs
- 62% report moderate or limited AI use
- Cultural readiness is high:
- More than 80% say their organizations are mostly or fully ready to adopt AI
- 42% consider themselves fully ready
- AI concern is nearly universal:
- 90% report at least one concern related to AI
- 65% cite overreliance on AI as a key risk
Even among organizations that view themselves as fully ready, AI concern remains high, highlighting the importance of governance and human oversight as AI use expands.
EHS digital transformation is a work in progress
While interest in AI is strong, most organizations remain in transitional states when it comes to EHS process digitization, limiting the full value AI can deliver.
Survey results show:
- Only 11% have fully digitalized EHS systems
- 71% operate in hybrid environments that combine digitalized and manual workflows
- 18% still rely primarily on manual or paper-based processes
Fragmented systems and inconsistent data continue to restrict visibility, integration, and automation across EHS functions.
Processes most closely tied to day-to-day EHS operations and worker behavior lag furthest behind. Fewer than half of respondents report digitalization in safety processes such as emergency response planning, behavior-based safety observations, occupational health monitoring, and permit-to-work systems.
Mental health emerges as a core EHS responsibility
The survey also shows a broader evolution happening in how organizations define safety risk. While respondents increasingly recognize human-centered and psychosocial risks as part of the EHS mandate, near-term priorities remain focused on operational challenges.
- 87% agree that mental health belongs within the scope of EHS
- However, fatigue management, infectious disease preparedness, and managing the transition of an aging workforce rank higher as near-term priorities
As AI adoption accelerates, the findings point to a shared imperative for safety and technology leaders to ensure advanced AI-enabled tools enhance decision-making without replacing human expertise.
Founded more than 110 years ago, the National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate. The organization works to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing on the workplace, roadways and everyday life, and plays a central role in advancing safety research, education, and policy nationwide.
The full survey report, The Safety Shift: EHS Readiness in 2026, is available to download.
Additional findings and commentary from the National Safety Council are available in the companion press release, which can be read on the National Safety Council website.