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Published 09/04/2025

Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR)

Meaning, Examples and How to Calculate the TRIFR

In the world of workplace safety, the Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate, or TRIFR, is a crucial metric used to estimate an organization's safety performance. But what exactly is the TRIFR Calculation, and how is it used? This essential calculation helps companies understand the frequency of work-related incidents that result in injuries or illnesses. It's like a report card for workplace safety, giving businesses insight into how often their employees are getting hurt on the job compared to hours worked.

Region Differences
It is crucial to note that the TRIFR computation varies slightly between areas and countries due to differences in reporting requirements, recordable injury classifications, and other region-specific factors.

Understanding the TRIFR calculation and how it is used can have a big impact on a company's safety practices. For many organizations, particularly those working in high-risk industries such as construction or manufacturing, this indicator serves as a baseline for assessing the effectiveness of safety programs. The lower your TRIFR, the safer your work environment will be. It's more than just crunching numbers; it's about understanding the patterns and causes of occurrences so they can be avoided in the future.

Beyond just internal analysis, companies also use TRIFR Calculation when communicating with external stakeholders. This statistic often finds its way into corporate sustainability reports or investor relations presentations as a reflection of management's commitment to employee welfare. Potential investors might view low TRIFR as indicative of strong operational practices and risk management capabilities. Clients may use these figures when selecting contractors or partners who align with their own values around health and safety.

Regulatory Compliance
Another significant aspect of understanding what the TRIFR Calculation is, and how is it is used lies in regulatory compliance. In many jurisdictions worldwide, maintaining certain safety standards isn't just good practice, it's legally mandated. Companies with higher incident rates might face increased scrutiny from regulators or even financial penalties if they fail to comply with industry standards or government legislation. Keeping an eye on your TRIFR isn't just about internal assessments but also about staying out of hot water with authorities.

At its core, paying attention to your TRIFR Calculation fosters a company culture centered on care and responsibility towards employee’s well-being. When organizations prioritize reducing their incident rates through comprehensive training programs and robust safety measures, they invest not only in compliance but also in morale and productivity enhancements among their workforces. Employees who feel safe are more likely to perform better without fear, knowing they're supported by systems designed to protect them from harm every day at work gives them peace of mind that's invaluable. This will form a common part of your overall injury management system.

View TRIFR Examples

Step by step on calculating the TRIFR

The TRIFR figure gives companies valuable insight into their safety performance and areas that need improvement. But how exactly do you go about calculating this important figure? Let's break it down step by step.

The following acts as a guide for a common approach, but it's best to ensure you factor in region specific requirements as needed, this could be variations in reporting requirements, definitions of recordable injuries or other factors to consider as part of the calculation.

First: Gather your data. You'll need two key pieces of information,

1. The number of recordable injuries
2. The total number of hours worked in a given period, usually a year.

A recordable injury, according to regulatory bodies like OSHA, includes any work-related incident that results in death, loss of consciousness, days away from work, or medical treatment beyond first aid. Ensure your data is accurate and up to date as any errors can significantly impact your TRIFR calculation.

Variables needed to calculate the TRFR

Number of fatalities (F): The total count of work-related deaths.
Number of lost time injuries (LTI): The total count of work-related injuries resulting in one or more days away from work.
Number of medical treatment injuries (MTI): The total count of work-related injuries requiring medical treatment by a physician or other licensed healthcare professional beyond first aid.
Number of restricted work injuries (RWI): The total count of work-related injuries where an employee is unable to perform one or more of their routine job functions for a full workday but remains at work.
Total employee hours worked (H): The total number of hours worked by all employees during the same period. Include all full-time, part-time, and temporary employees. Do not include vacation, sick leave, or public holiday hours.

Calculation Example

per one million hours worked to standardize comparisons across organizations and industries.
Multiply your initial result by 1,000,000 to obtain the TRIFR value.
Add the total number of recordable injuries. This involves adding the number of fatalities, lost time injuries, medical treatment injuries, and restricted work injuries.

Total Recordable Injuries (TRI) = F + LTI + MTI + RWI

Multiply the total recordable injuries by 1,000,000 (based on a 40-hour work week). Divide the results from Step 3 by the total employee hours worked.

Example in action

Suppose a company had the following during a year:

1 Fatality
5 Lost Time Injuries
12 Medical Treatment Injuries
8 Restricted Work Injuries
Total employee hours worked: 500,000 hours

Step 1: Identify the data:

F = 1
LTI = 5
MTI = 12
RWI = 8
H = 500,000

Step 2: Sum the total recordable injuries:

TRI = 1 + 5 + 12 + 8 = 26

Step 3: Multiply by 1,000,000:

26 x 1,000,000 = 26,000,000

Step 4: Divide by the total hours worked:

TRIFR = 500,000 / 26,000,000 = 52

Interpreting the final figure.
A lower TRIFR indicates fewer incidents relative to hours worked and suggests effective safety protocols are in place. A high TRIFR might indicate areas where safety measures could be improved, or additional training may be required for employees. Regularly calculating and reviewing this metric allows organizations not only to benchmark their performance but also to strive continuously for safer workplace environments.

Keeping track of safety metrics serves as an essential practice for proactive risk management. By regularly performing this step-by-step TRIFR calculation process, businesses can effectively monitor their workplace conditions and take necessary actions promptly before small oversights turn into larger issues.

Use an Injury Management System to Calculate and Track the TRIFR Doing this manually can be difficult and complex, try an injury management system to do it for you

Discover our Injury Management System here: