1. What is the OSHA Severity Rate?

The OSHA Severity Rate is a safety metric that measures the severity of workplace injuries and illnesses. It calculates the number of lost workdays per 200,000 hours worked, which represents the hours worked by 100 employees working 40-hour weeks for 50 weeks per year.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the OSHA Severity Rate formula:

Where:

• Number of Lost Workdays — Total days away from work due to workplace injuries or illnesses
• Total Hours Worked — The total number of hours worked by all employees during the period
• 200,000 — Base for 100 full-time equivalent workers (100 workers × 40 hours × 50 weeks)

Explanation: This metric helps organizations understand the severity of workplace incidents by standardizing the measurement across different workforce sizes.

3. Importance of Severity Rate Calculation

Details: The Severity Rate is crucial for assessing workplace safety performance, identifying trends in injury severity, benchmarking against industry standards, and developing targeted safety interventions to reduce serious injuries.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the total number of lost workdays and the total hours worked by all employees during the reporting period. Both values must be valid (lost workdays ≥ 0, total hours > 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between incidence rate and severity rate?
A: Incidence rate measures the frequency of recordable incidents, while severity rate measures the seriousness of those incidents based on lost workdays.

Q2: What is considered a good severity rate?
A: Lower values are better. Industry benchmarks vary, but generally a severity rate below the industry average indicates better safety performance.

Q3: How often should severity rate be calculated?
A: Typically calculated annually, but can be calculated quarterly or monthly for more frequent monitoring of safety performance.

Q4: What types of incidents contribute to lost workdays?
A: Any workplace injury or illness that results in an employee being away from work beyond the day of the incident, including restricted workdays.

Q5: How can companies reduce their severity rate?
A: Through comprehensive safety programs, hazard identification and control, employee training, proper equipment maintenance, and strong safety leadership.