2026 EHS Report: Workplace Injuries Rising as Safety Teams Face Expanding Workloads
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2026 EHS Report: Workplace Injuries Rising as Safety Teams Face Expanding Workloads
What Changed
The 2026 EHS Benchmarking Report from Benchmark Gensuite reveals a sharp increase in both the frequency and severity of workplace injuries. Based on a survey of more than 260 environmental health and safety professionals, the report found that 45% of respondents reported rising injury frequency — up from just 18% the prior year. Injury severity followed the same trend, with 39% reporting increases compared to 13% previously.
Perhaps most concerning: an estimated 90% of workplace incidents, hazards, and near misses go unreported, up from 79% in the previous survey cycle.
Why This Matters for Chemical Workplaces
Chemical facilities already face heightened risk from hazardous materials, confined spaces, and process safety demands. When injury rates rise industry-wide while incident reporting deteriorates, it signals that safety systems are under strain across the board.
The report identifies the primary drivers: increased operational demand (cited by 44% of respondents), workforce issues including turnover and shortages (42%), time pressure (33%), and insufficient training (32%). These factors hit chemical operations especially hard, where a single missed safety step can lead to exposure, spills, or process incidents.
Key Numbers from the 2026 Report
- 45% report increased injury frequency (up from 18%)
- 39% report increased injury severity (up from 13%)
- 90% of incidents go unreported (up from 79%)
- 45% estimate up to 25% of employees never report incidents
- 39% of EHS leaders say they miss early risk signals
On the technology front, EHS teams are turning to AI to manage expanding workloads: 92% now use generative AI in their daily work, with the top applications being report summarization (50%), compliance documentation (48%), and predictive safety insights (44%).
Responsibilities are also expanding. Nearly half of EHS professionals (46%) have taken on sustainability and governance oversight, while 52% have broadened their emergency response plans.
What EHS Teams Should Do Now
- Audit your incident reporting system — if reports are declining while operations expand, you may be losing visibility on actual risk
- Address reporting barriers — anonymous reporting options, simplified forms, and clear non-retaliation policies can improve capture rates
- Prioritize chemical-specific training — with workforce turnover driving injuries, ensure new hires receive thorough hazmat handling and SDS training before working with chemicals
- Review SDS accessibility — every chemical on site should have a current Safety Data Sheet available within seconds, not minutes
- Leverage documentation from suppliers — work with chemical suppliers who provide complete SDS, COA, and handling guidance as a standard part of every shipment
Alliance's Take
When incident reporting gaps grow and EHS workloads expand, the basics matter more than ever — and chemical documentation is one of those basics. Every chemical on a site needs a current, accessible Safety Data Sheet. Every shipment should arrive with clear handling guidance and a Certificate of Analysis confirming product specifications.
Alliance Chemical provides complete SDS and COA documentation with every order as standard practice. Whether you are stocking laboratory chemicals, cleaning solutions, or water treatment compounds, our documentation is designed to support your EHS team — not add to their workload.
If your team is reviewing incident reporting processes or updating chemical handling training, we can provide bulk SDS packages and product safety summaries for your inventory. Reach out to sales@alliancechemical.com to request documentation or discuss your chemical supply requirements.
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