DART Rate Calculator
Calculate DART rate (Days Away Restricted or Transferred) for workplace safety. Measure injury severity and lost workdays per 100 employees in free calculator.
About This Calculator
The DART Rate Calculator helps safety managers, HR professionals, and business owners compute their workplace injury severity rate using the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standard formula. DART stands for Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred — it measures the number of workplace injuries and illnesses that result in time off work, restricted duties, or job reassignment per 100 full-time employees per year.
The DART rate is calculated using the formula: DART Rate = (Total DART Incidents × 200,000) ÷ Total Hours Worked. The constant 200,000 represents 100 full-time employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year. This normalization allows companies of different sizes to compare their safety performance on an equal basis. A lower DART rate indicates better workplace safety outcomes, while a rate above 4.125 is considered high and may trigger OSHA inspection.
Regional Notes
United States: OSHA requires employers with more than 10 employees in high-hazard industries to record DART incidents on Form 300 and calculate the DART rate annually. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes industry-specific DART rate benchmarks. The average private industry DART rate in the US is approximately 1.8.
United Kingdom: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uses a similar metric called the "incidence rate" for reporting workplace injuries. The UK uses a rate per 100,000 employees rather than per 100, and the reporting requirements are defined under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).
India: The Ministry of Labour and Employment tracks workplace injuries through the Factory Act reporting. While India does not use DART rate specifically, the international standard formula applies for multinational companies reporting under global safety frameworks. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 modernizes workplace safety reporting in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DART rate?
DART stands for Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred. It is an OSHA incident rate that measures the number of workplace injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer per 100 full-time employees per year.
How is the DART rate calculated?
The DART rate is calculated using the formula: DART Rate = (Total Number of DART Incidents × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked by All Employees. The 200,000 represents the number of hours worked by 100 full-time employees over a year (40 hours per week × 50 weeks per year × 100 employees).
What is a good DART rate?
A DART rate below 1.875 is considered low and below industry average. A rate between 1.876 and 4.125 is moderate and within the industry average range. A rate above 4.125 is high and may trigger an OSHA inspection. The average DART rate across all US industries is approximately 1.8.
What is the difference between DART rate and TRIR?
TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) includes all recordable workplace injuries and illnesses, while DART rate only includes those incidents that result in days away from work, restricted work, or job transfer. DART rate is a subset of TRIR, focusing specifically on more severe incidents.
How do I lower my company's DART rate?
To lower your DART rate, conduct regular safety meetings and training, perform in-depth incident investigations to identify root causes, implement routine workplace health check-ups, ensure all employees are properly trained and equipped for their tasks, maintain appropriate supervision, and establish an effective return-to-work program to reduce lost workdays.
Is the DART rate mandatory for OSHA reporting?
Yes, under OSHA regulations, employers with more than 10 employees in certain industries must record DART incidents on OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and calculate their DART rate annually. The DART rate is also required for OSHA Form 300A summary posting.
What counts as a DART incident?
A DART incident is any work-related injury or illness that results in days away from work, restricted work activity (cannot perform all routine job functions), or transfer to another job. Medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or diagnosis of a significant injury or illness also count as recordable incidents that may become DART cases.
Can I use this calculator for non-US workplace safety reporting?
Yes, while the DART rate formula originates from OSHA (US), the methodology of measuring injury severity per hours worked is used internationally. The standard formula (incidents × 200,000 / hours worked) applies globally, though other countries may use different baseline multipliers for their reporting requirements.