Iowa City – October 29, 2026 -- Sixty-three percent of industrial professionals surveyed say fewer than 5% of frontline workers file a hazard, near-miss or safety report each month, or that their site doesn't track the figure, according to the Frontline Risk Study 2026 from Teamforce AI.
Participation is low and static at 38% of sites
Thirty-eight percent of respondents report under 5% monthly participation, and another 25% don't track it. Of the 23 respondents in the under-5% group, 19 say the rate hasn't moved in a year.
Digital reporting tools lift participation at only some sites
Among sites that track reporting, 15 of 30 with EHS software or an app exceed 15% participation. No site without such tools reached that level. Still, 20 of the 39 sites with these tools are under 5% or don't track the rate.
Large sites and corporate staff are least able to state a rate
Fifty-three percent of respondents at sites over 1,000 employees or in corporate roles couldn't give a reporting rate, against 12% at smaller sites.
CAPA software hasn't closed the verification gap
Verifying that fixes worked was a top need for 36% of sites with corrective-action (CAPA) software and 30% of sites without it. The difference is not statistically significant.
"A closed ticket shows someone acted, not that the fix worked," said Vivek Kumar, CEO and co-founder of Teamforce AI.
Supervisors know least about workers' compensation financing
Three of four supervisors and five of 11 specialists were unsure how workers' compensation is financed. None of seven executives were unsure.
Small voluntary sample limits the findings
Sixty professionals completed the voluntary survey between July and September 2026. Figures are respondents' own estimates and show associations, not causes. Jim Lewis, executive director of the University of Iowa's Vaughan Institute of Risk Management & Insurance, partnered on the study, and students at Iowa and the University of North Carolina handled outreach. Lewis said the study looks at what precedes a claim, and that "you can't predict and prevent what your workers aren't telling you."
The findings were presented at the RISC Summit and Innovation Challenge, hosted by the University of Iowa in Iowa City and online.