ASSP Safety 2026: VelocityEHS publishes 2026 EHS 360 Benchmark Report

VelocityEHS presented its 2026 EHS 360 Benchmark Report today at the Safety 2026 Conference & Expo.

The show is being hosted by The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) June 15-17 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

VelocityEHS is exhibiting its new EHS, ESG, and sustainability products in booth 5725.

The report, titled “In Transition: The New Reality of EHS,” is designed to help EHS professionals benchmark their programs, identify opportunities for improvement, and better understand forces reshaping the profession. VelocityEHS said the industry study reveals how EHS professionals are navigating a period of significant transformation.

Report combines over 1,000 responses, user data

Organizations face growing pressure from increasing workplace risk, expanding regulatory complexity, budget and labor constraints, and heightened expectations from executive leadership.

At the same time, advances in AI and technology are creating new opportunities to improve visibility, strengthen decision making, and reduce administrative burden.

The report was built from exclusive insights gathered through a nationwide, validated survey of 1,008 EHS professionals conducted in March 2026, and a subset of aggregated, anonymized benchmark data from VelocityEHS’ more than 15,000 customers and 10 million global software users.

By combining professional sentiment with real-world operational data, VelocityEHS said the report provides a broader perspective of what EHS professionals are experiencing than traditional industry surveys alone, and illustrates how leading organizations are shaping the future of EHS management.

“EHS leaders are under more pressure than ever to deliver measurable outcomes, while navigating constant change,” said Ashley Emery, VelocityEHS CMO. “This report gives organizations something the industry has been missing: a comprehensive, data-driven view into what EHS professionals are actually experiencing, where the biggest challenges exist, and how leading organizations are responding. It’s designed to help EHS leaders benchmark their maturity, identify opportunities, and better prepare for the future.”

EHS now integrating with business strategy

A full 75% of respondents said executive leadership attitudes toward EHS have become more strategic during the last 24 months, indicating EHS is increasingly viewed as a driver of operational resilience, workforce protection, and enterprise risk management.

Key findings from the Report include:

• 82% of EHS professionals believe the function is gaining influence at the executive level.
• 75% believe executive leadership attitudes have become more strategic toward EHS.
• 67% indicate EHS has been integrated into broader enterprise risk and strategic business discussions.
• 53% state the top priority and focus of their EHS program is developing a company-wide safety program.

“EHS is entering one of the most important transitions the industry has ever experienced,” said Matt Airhart, VelocityEHS CEO. “Today’s EHS leaders are navigating regulatory complexity, increasing operational risk, resource challenges, and mounting expectations from leadership teams. What this report makes clear is how forward-thinking organizations are modernizing their EHS programs with connected platforms, real-time visibility, and human-centered AI designed specifically for EHS.” 

AI can meaningfully reduce administrative burden

The report also reveals that AI and automation are now viewed as the most transformative forces shaping the future of EHS.

Organizations increasingly see AI as a tool for reducing administrative burden, improving data quality, accelerating compliance activities, and strengthening proactive risk prevention.

The findings suggest AI is moving beyond experimentation and beginning to deliver measurable value across EHS programs.

Key AI findings include:

• 76% believe AI can meaningfully reduce administrative burden within EHS workflows.
• 70% trust AI-generated insights to inform EHS decisions.
• 44% identify AI and automation as the largest force shaping the future of EHS.
• 34% report measurable ROI from AI investments today.

The report suggests that organizations investing in integrated EHS technologies, strong data foundations, and AI-enabled workflows are better positioned to improve visibility, identify risks proactively, strengthen operational resilience, and move from reactive response toward predictive prevention.