The Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) Rate is a metric designed by OSHA to monitor injuries in high-risk industries and used by EHS managers to track recordable incidents over time. Unlike the Total Case Incident Rate, the DART rate only takes into account the most serious incidents. This calculation adds up the incidents that caused lost days of work, resulted in an employee transferring to a different job, or restricted certain job roles. Because of this, your DART rate is most likely be lower than your facility’s TCIR.
First, enter the total number of injuries and illnesses in the workplace from the past year; these incidents must have resulted in days away from the job, restricted job roles, or transfers. The other variable you will need to input is the total number of hours employees worked in a calendar year. This information can be found in the most recent copy of your OSHA 300 log and 300A summary.
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The 200,000 represents 100 employees working 40 hours a week for 50 weeks; this gives you the number of incidents resulting in lost or restricted days or job transfer due to work-related injuries or illnesses per 100 full-time employees over one full year. The DART rate is a type of incident rate that can be used as a benchmark, or a KPI, and can be critical to improving your safety performance. Use this incident rate to monitor safety programs and ensure your efforts are effectively reducing injuries.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average DART rate for the private industry is 1.5 – meaning on average, 1.5 cases resulting in days away from work, job transfer, or restriction occur every year for every 100 workers in the private sector. It is important to remember more dangerous industries (maritime, logging, etc.) will have a higher rate than average.
Additional Dart Rate facts:
- The DART rate is a measure of the frequency and severity of workplace injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, restricted work activities, or job transfers. Source: https://www.safeopedia.com/2/1367/safety-standards/dart-rate-what-it-is-and-how-to-calculate-it
- The DART rate is calculated by multiplying the number of recordable cases that involved days away, restricted, or transferred by 200,000, and then dividing by the total number of hours worked by all employees. Source: https://www.mscdirect.com/betterMRO/safety/osha-dart-safety-rate-explained-and-how-calculate-it
- The DART rate is one of the safety indicators that OSHA uses to evaluate the performance of different industries and companies. The lower the DART rate, the better the safety record. Source: https://hsewatch.com/dart-rate/
- The DART rate can help employers identify the root causes of workplace injuries and illnesses, and implement corrective actions to prevent them from recurring. Source: https://www.dakotasoft.com/blog/2023/10/06/osha-dart-rate-how-to-calculate-it-and-why-its-important
- The DART rate can also help employers reduce the costs associated with workers’ compensation, medical expenses, lost productivity, and employee turnover. Source: https://www.hseblog.com/dart-rate/
Understanding Key Workplace Safety Metrics
Below is a comprehensive reference table of essential safety metrics that can help your organization track, assess, and improve workplace health and safety performance. From calculating your Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) to using a DART Rate Calculator for determining the Days Away/Restricted or Job Transfer Rate, each metric offers valuable insights. You’ll also find guidance on the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR), the Lost Time Case Rate (LTIR), and the Lost Workday Rate (LWDR), each of which provides a clearer understanding of how incidents translate into lost work hours. Additionally, tools like a Severity Rate Calculator and methods for determining the Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR), Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR), and OSHA Recordable Severity Rate (TRSR) ensure you can accurately measure the full impact of workplace incidents. By leveraging these metrics, your organization can identify safety trends, implement preventive measures, and maintain a proactive approach to hazard control.
| Name | Acronym | Definition | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident Frequency Rate Calculator | AFR | Number of incidents resulting in lost work time due to injury or illness per 100 employees. | (Number of Accidents × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Days Away/Restricted or Job Transfer Rate | DART | Number of incidents resulting in lost work time, restricted duties, or job transfers per 100 employees. | (Number of DART Cases × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate | LTIFR | Number of injuries resulting in lost time per 1,000,000 hours worked. | (Number of Lost Time Cases × 1,000,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Lost Time Case Rate | LTIR | Number of incidents resulting in lost time per 100 full-time employees. | (Number of Lost Time Cases × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Lost Workday Rate (Lost Time Injury Rate) | LWDR | Number of lost workdays due to injury or illness per 100 full-time employees. | (Number of Lost Workdays × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Severity Rate | SR | Number of lost days relative to total hours worked per 100 full-time employees. | (Number of Lost Workdays × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Total Case Incident Rate (OSHA Recordable Incident Rate) | TCIR | Number of OSHA recordable incidents (injuries and illnesses) per 100 full-time employees. | (Number of OSHA Recordable Cases × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate | TRIFR | Number of fatalities, lost time injuries, restricted duty cases, and other injuries requiring medical treatment per 1,000,000 hours worked. | (Number of Recordable Injuries × 1,000,000) / Total Hours Worked |
| OSHA Recordable Severity Rate | TRSR | The average number of lost and restricted days per OSHA recordable incident. | (Number of Lost Work Days + Number of Restricted or Transferred Days) / Number of OSHA Recordable Incidents |
