What is TRIR and How It’s Calculated

What is TRIR?

TRIR stands for Total Recordable Incident Rate, and it is a widely used safety metric that measures the frequency of workplace recordable incidents and injuries that require medical attention beyond first aid. TRIR helps organizations monitor their safety performance and identify areas for improvement.

A recordable incident is any work-related injury or illness that results in one or more of the following outcomes:

• Death
• Days away from work
• Restricted work or transfer to another job
• Medical treatment beyond first aid
• Loss of consciousness
• Significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed healthcare professional

Recordable incidents do not include minor injuries or illnesses that are treated with first aid only, such as cuts, bruises, sprains, or colds.

TRIR is a lagging indicator, meaning that it reflects past performance rather than current or future performance. However, it can also be used as a leading indicator, meaning that it can help predict future outcomes and trends. For instance, a high TRIR may indicate a high risk of accidents or lawsuits, while a low rate may indicate a high level of safety awareness and compliance.

Why is TRIR Important?

TRIR is important because it provides a quantifiable measure of how safe a workplace is. By tracking and monitoring Total Recordable Incident Rate, organizations can:

• Evaluate their safety performance and compare it with industry standards or benchmarks.
• Identify the root causes of incidents and injuries and implement corrective actions.
• Prevent or reduce the occurrence of accidents, injuries, illnesses, fatalities, and associated costs.
• Enhance employee morale, productivity, retention, and satisfaction.
• Demonstrate their commitment to safety and social responsibility to stakeholders and customers.

TRIR can also have a significant impact on an organization’s reputation and profitability. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers pay an estimated $1 billion per week for direct workers’ compensation costs alone. Moreover, indirect costs such as lost productivity, training replacement workers, legal fees, and damage to equipment or property can be several times higher than direct costs. Furthermore, a high rate can damage an organization’s image and credibility in the eyes of potential clients or partners.

How to Calculate TRIR

TRIR is calculated by dividing the total number of recordable incidents by the total number of hours worked by all employees in a given period and multiplying the result by 200,000 (the equivalent of 100 full-time workers working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks). The formula is:

TRIR = (Total Recordable Incidents / Total Hours Worked) x 200,000

For example, if a company had 10 recordable incidents and 500,000 hours worked in a year, its TRIR would be:

TRIR = (10 / 500,000) x 200,000

TRIR = 0.004 x 200,000

TRIR = 4

This means that the company had four recordable incidents per 100 full-time workers in a year.

To calculate Total Recordable Incidents Rate accurately and consistently, organizations need to follow these steps:

1. Define the scope and period of the calculation. For example, you may want to calculate the rate for a specific department, site, project, or year.
2. Collect data on the total number of recordable incidents and the total number of hours worked by all employees within the scope and period of the calculation. You can use OSHA’s definition of recordable incidents or your own criteria as long as they are clear and consistent.
3. Apply the formula using the data collected in Step 2.

What is a Good TRIR Score?

There is no definitive answer to what constitutes a good or acceptable TRIR score because different industries have different levels of risk and exposure to hazards. However, some general guidelines are:

• A lower TRIR score is better than a higher one because it indicates fewer incidents and injuries per worker.
• A decreasing or stable TRIR score over time is better than an increasing one because it indicates improvement or maintenance of safety performance.
• A TRIR score that is lower than the industry average of about 3.1 is better than one that is higher because it indicates a competitive edge or a best practice in safety management.

However, these guidelines are not absolute and should be used with caution and context. For example, a low TRIR score may not necessarily reflect a high level of safety if it is due to underreporting or luck, while a high TRIR score may not necessarily reflect a low level of safety if it is due to exceptional circumstances or stringent reporting criteria. Therefore, organizations should not rely solely on TRIR as a measure of safety but rather use it in conjunction with other metrics and indicators that capture the quality and effectiveness of their safety programs and culture.

Common Challenges in Managing

Managing TRIR can pose several challenges for organizations, such as:

• Underreporting or overreporting of incidents and injuries due to fear of reprisal, lack of awareness, incentives or disincentives, or different interpretations of what constitutes a recordable incident.
• Inconsistent or inaccurate data collection due to human error, system error, or lack of standardization or automation.
• Difficulty in comparing TRIR scores across different industries, sectors, regions, or time periods due to variations in risk levels, exposure rates, reporting criteria, or data sources.
• Complacency or overconfidence due to low TRIR scores may mask underlying issues or create a false sense of security.

Tips for Improving TRIR

Improving TRIR requires a comprehensive and systematic approach that involves multiple stakeholders and factors. Here are some tips and strategies for reducing TRIR and enhancing workplace safety:

• Conduct regular and thorough risk assessments to identify and eliminate or minimize hazards and potential sources of incidents and injuries.
• Implement and enforce safety policies, procedures, standards, and protocols that comply with relevant regulations and best practices.
• Provide adequate and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensure its proper use and maintenance.
• Train and educate employees on safety awareness, skills, responsibilities, and expectations. Encourage employees to report incidents and near misses, participate in safety committees or audits, and suggest improvements.
• Monitor and evaluate safety performance using data-driven methods and tools. Analyze trends, patterns, causes, and effects of incidents and injuries. Implement corrective and preventive actions based on the findings.
• Recognize and reward employees for their safety achievements and contributions. Foster a positive safety culture that values trust, communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

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How Certainty Can Help You Improve Safety

Certainty Software is an enterprise-level inspection software solution that can help you easily collect, report, and manage your safety data. With Certainty, you can:

• Create and customize your own checklists for safety inspections and audits using OSHA’s or your own criteria for recordable incidents and injuries.
• Collect data online or offline using any device, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops.
• Report and analyze your TRIR data in real time using powerful business intelligence tools.
• Manage and resolve issues identified during inspections and audits using a complete action management system.
• Integrate your data with other systems and sources using API or OData access. Streamline your data collection and reporting processes and eliminate manual errors and inconsistencies.

To learn more about how Certainty can help you improve your Total Recordable Incident Rate score and enhance workplace safety, book a demo today.

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