Recalibrating EHS Risk in 2026
Standard safety metrics are not doing their jobs. EHS leaders say they do little to prevent serious, life-altering harm, according to a recent report, Risk Recalibrated: 2026 Executive Leadership Report on AI, SIF, and Human-Centric EHS, by the What Works Institute and Evotix.
SIF Prevention: Agreement on What Gets Measured
Serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) definitions vary widely, resulting in inconsistent classification, muddled data and confused priorities. Most (80%) have SIF prevention efforts in place today, yet they do so with different definitions, scopes and maturity levels.
Nearly 1 in 5 EHS leaders say current safety metrics have no relation to real risk.
“Leaders agree on the destination—preventing life-altering harm—but not yet on the common language or tools needed to get there,” said Jonathan English, CEO, Evotix, in a statement. “This misalignment slows progress at a time when safety leaders won’t be satisfied with incremental change.”
Cautious Curiosity About AI
Nearly all (94%) EHS programs use some form of digital management, and many are cautiously exploring AI:
- Piloting AI in limited scopes (42%)
- Exploring use cases (33%)
- Have not started (17%)
Organizations are exploring or implementing AI for automated dashboards and reporting (44%), chatbots, copilots to support Standard Operating Procedures or training (44%) and incident investigations (29%).
While AI can offer speed, insights and real-time field guidance, enthusiasm and scale are tempered by concerns over data quality (58%), bias (36%) and governance (27%).
Human-Centric EHS Gains Traction
EHS leaders increasingly recognize human-centric factors such as stress, fatigue, cognitive load, neurodiversity and psychological safety contribute to risk. Many organizations acknowledge psychosocial contributors, including:
- Control of work conditions (71%)
- Mental-health strain (66%)
- Fatigue/cognitive overload (60%)
But recognition so far outpaces integration—89% say psychosocial contributors are not or only partially embedded in EHS or SIF strategy.
“AI advances and a deeper understanding and appreciation for human-centric approaches present a compelling opportunity to radically improve risk prevention in 2026, but leaders must first recalibrate their approaches,” said John Dony, Co-Founder and CEO, What Works Institute, in a statement. “That means refining definitions and metrics, investing in human-centric systems and governing new technologies wisely.”