Knowing how to measure workplace safety performance is essential for employers committed to reducing risk and staying compliant with OSHA standards. Among the key safety metrics used across industries are the DART rate and TRIR rate, two numbers that reveal much about the health and safety of your workforce.
The DART rate focuses specifically on injuries or illnesses that result in days away from work, job restrictions, or transfers. On the other hand, the TRIR captures all recordable incidents, including less severe cases.
This guide breaks down the key differences between DART vs. TRIR, explains how to use a DART rate calculator, and walks you through how to calculate DART rate effectively to make informed decisions and strengthen your safety performance.
What Is the DART Rate?
The DART rate, short for Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred, is a metric used to track serious workplace injuries or illnesses. Specifically, it looks at incidents that cause an employee to miss work, be placed on restricted duty, or be transferred to a different role because they can’t perform their usual tasks.
What makes the DART rate so important is its focus on the most disruptive types of workplace injuries that affect employee health and interrupt operations. It’s a more focused safety measure than broader metrics like TRIR, which count all OSHA-recordable incidents, even minor ones.
Tracking your company’s DART rate allows you to spot patterns, evaluate the effectiveness of your safety programs, and take action before problems grow. OSHA and industry peers may also examine it, making it an important number to understand and improve.
How to Calculate DART Rate
To calculate the DART rate, follow these steps:
Here’s a step-by-step guide to calculating DART rates:
- Gather Data: You will need two essential pieces of information: the total number of recordable incidents (days away, restricted work, or job transfer) within a specific timeframe (usually a year) and the total number of employee labor hours during the same period.
- Apply the Formula: To calculate DART rate, multiply the number of recordable incidents by 200,000 and divide by the total number of employee work hours. Figure 200,000 corresponds to a standardized assumption of 100 employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks.
- Interpret the Result: The DART rate is expressed per 100 employees. A lower DART rate indicates better workplace safety performance.
For example, consider an organization with 20 recordable incidents (days away, restricted work, job transfer) in a year and 1,000,000 employee hours worked. The DART rate would be 4 per 100 employees, multiplying 20 recordable cases by 200,000 and dividing by 1,000,000 hours. This suggests the need for improved workplace safety measures, as a lower DART rate is preferable.
For example, consider an organization with 20 recordable incidents (days away, restricted work, job transfer) in a year and 1,000,000 employee hours worked. The DART rate would be 4 per 100 employees, multiplying 20 recordable cases by 200,000 and dividing by 1,000,000 hours. This suggests the need for improved workplace safety measures, as a lower DART rate is preferable.
DART vs. TRIR: Why Both Matter
If you have ever looked at safety reports or OSHA logs, you might have encountered two numbers that seem similar but mean different things: DART and TRIR. Mixing them up is easy, but understanding the difference can give you much better insight into your team’s risks.
TRIR, or Total Recordable Incident Rate, includes all OSHA-recordable incidents beyond basic first aid. That could mean a cut requiring stitches, a sprained ankle, or even a doctor’s visit without time off. It’s a broad metric designed to track overall injury trends.
Now, the DART rate takes it a step further. It only counts cases that result in someone missing work, being moved to restricted duty, or needing a job transfer. These incidents affect productivity and staffing and often point to more serious issues.
So, when comparing DART vs TRIR, think of TRIR as your big-picture safety snapshot, while DART tells you which incidents disrupted your team’s ability to do their jobs.
If you’re using a DART rate calculator or trying to calculate DART for internal reporting, understanding how it differs from TRIR ensures your data tells the full story.
What Is a Good DART Rate?
There’s no single benchmark that applies across all industries, but in general, a lower DART rate is better. It indicates fewer serious workplace injuries that lead to time off, restricted duty, or job transfers.
Because work environments vary widely, what’s considered a “good” DART rate depends on your industry. For example, construction and manufacturing typically have higher incidence rates than office-based jobs. To gauge your own performance, compare your DART rate to the most recent OSHA industry averages or similar-sized companies in your sector.
Regularly tracking your performance with a reliable DART rate calculator helps you set meaningful goals and measure the impact of your safety programs over time.
Why It Pays to Track DART Alongside TRIR
While TRIR tells you how often incidents occur, it doesn’t show how disruptive those incidents are to your workforce.
When you also track DART, you gain visibility into how many incidents are severe enough to change an employee’s ability to work. Combining both allows you to make smarter, more focused decisions on where to direct training, preventive measures, or resources.
If you want to calculate DART and understand how it fits into broader safety trends, using tools like an OSHA DART rate calculator alongside TRIR data can offer a more accurate, real-world picture of your team’s safety performance.
Practical Tips to Reduce Your DART Rate
Lowering your DART rate starts with prevention. Here are five proven strategies safety managers and operations leaders can implement to reduce the number of serious workplace incidents:
- Conduct Regular Safety Audits: Routine inspections help you identify and correct hazards before they lead to injuries that affect your DART score.
- Improve Incident Reporting Culture: Encourage employees to report near misses and minor hazards. This proactive approach helps prevent small issues from becoming severe cases.
- Invest in Targeted Safety Training: Customize training programs based on the most common types of incidents in your industry or facility. Keep the content fresh and engaging.
- Focus on Ergonomics and Workstation Design: Many lost-time injuries come from repetitive strain or poor lifting techniques. Address these through better tools, setup, and training.
- Act Quickly on Injuries That Could Escalate: Address minor injuries early with proper care and modified duties. In many cases, quick action can prevent a case from becoming DART-reportable.
Final Thoughts
Tracking your DART rate is about protecting your team and building a safer, more productive workplace. By understanding how to use a DART rate calculator, how DART compares to TRIR, and what the numbers mean, you can turn safety data into action.
Focusing on prevention, early intervention, and continuous improvement reduces risk, not just on paper but in real outcomes for employees and businesses.
Partner with Experts Who Know How to Lower DART and TRIR
Want to know where your risk really stands? Start with our practical guide on how to reduce TRIR or contact us for a tailored safety consultation.
Partner with WorkPartners to ensure your workplace meets the highest safety standards. Our experienced team specializes in injury prevention and safety management, helping you achieve optimal DART and TRIR rates.
Contact us today or call us at (800) 359-5020 to learn more about our services and how we can assist you in creating a safer work environment.
