What Is Lost Time Injury Rate?

What's your business's lost time injury rate? Workers may sustain an injury while on the clock. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2.4 million workers receive emergency room medical treatment for a work-related injury each year. By familiarizing yourself with lost time injury rate, you can create a safer workplace for your business's workers.

Overview of Lost Time Injury Rate

Also known as lost time incident rate, lost time injury rate is the number of work-related injuries that required workers to take time off during a given period. 

Not all injuries, of course, will require workers to take time off. If a worker sustains a minor injury like a scrape or bruise, he or she may be able to continue working. Serious injuries like broken bones, conversely, will often require workers to take time off. Lost time injury rate represents the total number of work-related injuries that required workers to take time off during a given period.

The Importance of a Low Lost Time Injury Rate

A low lost time injury rate indicates that workers aren't sustaining many serious injuries. A high lost time injury rate, in comparison, in comparison, indicates a high rate of serious injuries among workers.

Business owners should strive to create a safe workplace for their workers. If your workplace is riddled with safety hazards, it will leave workers susceptible to injuries. And depending on the severity of their injuries, some workers may have to take time off, resulting in a higher lost time injury rate.

Tips to Achieve a Low Lost Time Injury Rate

Even if your business has a high low time injury rate, there are steps you can take to lower it. Ensuring that workers have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) will have a positive impact on your business's lost time injury rate.

You should audit your workplace for fall hazards. Slip and falls and trip and falls are some of the leading causes of work-related injuries. By auditing your workplace for fall hazards, you can protect workers from slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall injuries. Maybe there are extension cords exposed on the floor, or perhaps there's a constant puddle of water on the floor. Regardless, you should look for fall hazards such as these when auditing your workplace.

Keeping records of work-related injuries can help you achieve a lower lost time injury rate. You'll know what types of injuries workers have sustained, when they sustained them and what caused the injuries. With this information, you can create a safer workplace.