OSHA loves acronyms and abbreviations. We’ve got one more to add to your bowl of alphabet soup: TRIR is yet another essential acronym that you should understand when it comes to your company’s safety 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, you likely need to make some improvements in your overall safety program.
Calculate Your TRIR
Download this eBook to learn the different types of safety data and best practices for using data and analytics to improve your safety program.
How to Calculate Your TRIR
There are three steps to calculating your TRIR
1. Count the incidents
2. Count the hours worked
3. Do the math
Let’s dig in.
Step 1: Count the Incidents
Count the number of OSHA recordable incidents within the given year.
A work-related injury or illness must be recorded under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act if it results in one or more of the following:
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work or transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional
Step 2: Count the Hours
Count the number of hours that your employees have worked within the given year. For example, if you have 5 employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks, that’s 5 * 40 * 50 = 10,000 hours.
Step 3: Do the Math
Multiply Incidents * 200,000. Then divide by Hours.
Why 200,000? That’s the total number of hours that 100 employees would work, assuming 50 weeks at 40 hours-per-week.
Your TRIR typically comes out between 0-10.
Here’s an example:
Your company experienced a total of 5 recordable workplace incidents last year, and all employees — including management and temporary workers — accumulated 400,000 hours worked in that year. Given this scenario, this is how your organization’s TRIR rate would be calculated:
5 / 200,000 = 1,000,000 / 400,000 = 2.5 TRIR
What’s a Good TRIR?
The perfect TRIR is 0. Lower is always better.
A ‘good’ TRIR depends on your industry. For example, 2 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. Keep in mind that TRIR is a blanket average of incident rates but does not consider severity or other factors.
TRIR is typically lower for smaller companies of 1-10 employees compared to larger companies.
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 has a large impact on 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 jobsite 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 to learn from it. Perform an in-depth investigation and take actions that will prevent future incidents. This may include re-training, a change in 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 resulted 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
Prioritize safety on the jobsite and lower your TRIR rate by implementing the tips above and by partnering with KPA.
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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