OSHA loves acronyms and abbreviations. We’ve got one more to add to your bowl of alphabet soup: TRIR is yet another essential acronym you should understand regarding your company’s safety culture and record.
What is TRIR?
TRIR stands for “Total Recordable Incident Rate.” OSHA developed this calculation to gauge a company’s safety record compared to its peers. It looks at the number of recordable incidents per 100 full-time workers during a year.
Why is TRIR Important?
OSHA has specific reporting requirements, and some companies are required to submit injury and illness information electronically. OSHA monitors these results, and high rates could trigger a visit from an inspector. A high TRIR rate can also mean an increase in your insurance rates. If your TRIR rate is much higher than your industry’s average rate, based on a 40-hour work week, you likely need to make some improvements in your overall safety program.
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What’s a Good TRIR?
The perfect TRIR score is 0, which reflects an ideal safety management system. Lower is always better.
A ‘good’ TRIR depends on your industry. For example, two may be good for a construction company but terrible for a call center. This is because construction work is inherently dangerous, but answering phone calls is not. Remember that TRIR is a blanket average of incident rates based on a 40-hour work week but does not consider severity or other factors.
TRIR is typically lower for smaller companies of 1-10 employees than for larger ones.
Among those numbers, the highest reported average is a TRIR of 10 for “Motor home manufacturing,” and the lowest reported average is a TRIR of 1 for “Air and gas compressor manufacturing.”
Overall, 3.1 is the average TRIR across all industries in the United States.
Three Ways to Lower Your TRIR
Make Safety Your Number One Priority
The work culture at any workplace greatly impacts your incident rate. Everyone working on the job should share the same view and goals. That view is that safety is a top priority, and incidents and unsafe practices can and must be avoided. Use a “safety-first” mentality by reinforcing the message to existing staff and training each new employee to uphold “safety-first” standards and to follow procedures that encourage a safe working environment.
Encourage Open Communication
Encourage workers to voice their concerns and opinions about job site safety by creating opportunities for communication. For example, establish weekly meetings or daily or weekly “toolbox talks” with your team to review various safety issues—and leave a few minutes for open conversation and a chance for workers to voice any concerns they may have.
Incident Review and Correction
If and when an incident occurs, it is important to handle it correctly and learn from it. Perform an in-depth investigation and take action to prevent future incidents. This may include retraining, changing a process, or even purchasing new tools or equipment.
What’s the Difference Between DART and TRIR?
They’re both important calculations, but it’s good to understand the difference.
DART looks at the number of workplace injuries and illnesses that resulted in employees missing work, having restricted work activities, or resulting in them transferring to another job.
TRIR looks at the number of recordable incidents per 100 full-time employees. When it comes to TRIR, the lower the number, the better your company’s safety performance.
KPA Can Help You Lower Your TRIR
Implementing the tips above and partnering with KPA will help prioritize safety on the job site and achieve a low TRIR.
KPA’s unique combination of software, consulting, and training allows organizations to automate manual processes, increase productivity, improve employee training, and reduce the overall cost of risk – the key factors influencing TRIR. Let us show you how.
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