If you are filling out a 2024 OSHA 300 log for your business, you may notice that OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) provides the option to calculate your facility’s incident rate. OSHA defines an incident rate as “the number of recordable injuries and illnesses occurring among a given number of full-time workers over a given period of time (usually one year).” In other words, it is the rate of injuries and illnesses that occur in a workplace over a specified period of time. The incident rate is calculated as a ratio of the number of incidents (illness and injury) to the total time.
Although submitting the OSHA 300 logs (300, 300A, and 301) is an annual requirement, calculating and reporting your incident rate is not. OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) use incident rates to monitor the frequency and severity of various injuries and illnesses across the country. Safety professionals can also use the incident rate to establish benchmarks, discover gaps in their safety programs, and compare their performance with other businesses.
How is the incident rate calculated?
OSHA provides a worksheet in its online OSHA Forms for Recording pdf. The worksheet requires users to reference their OSHA 300 logs. If you are unfamiliar with OSHA’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements, read this past Walden blog for more information.
The incident rate is calculated by multiplying the total number of injuries and illnesses (annually) by 200,000 and then dividing that number by the total number of hours worked by all employees within that year. The result is the number of occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time employees over one year (assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year).
Walden has developed a tool to complete this calculation for you. Check out our incident rate calculator here!
How do I interpret my organization’s incident rate?
A higher incident rate correlates to a more dangerous working environment and suggests that the safety programs in place need improvement.
According to the BLS website, the average number of total recordable cases across all industries (including private, state, and local government) in 2023 was 2.7. The BLS also provides an incident rate calculator on its website and lists the incident rates by industry.
Overall, calculating your incident rate is a very quick and effective way to measure the safety of your workplace and the effectiveness of your safety efforts.
If you have a high incident rate and need assistance improving your business’s safety protocols, Walden can help. Our EHS specialists are experts in developing safety programs and ensuring our clients are in compliance with all applicable regulations. Members of our EHS team are also authorized to provide OSHA safety training for General Industry and Construction. Contact one of our safety professionals for help today at 860-846-4069.
