1. What is 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 number of hours 100 employees would work in a year (assuming 40-hour work weeks and 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 — Represents 100 employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks

Explanation: This standardizes the rate to allow for comparison between different companies and industries regardless of size.

3. Importance of OSHA Severity Rate

Details: The severity rate helps organizations track the seriousness of workplace injuries, identify safety issues, measure the effectiveness of safety programs, and benchmark against industry standards. A lower severity rate indicates better safety performance.

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 positive numbers, with total hours worked greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered a "good" OSHA severity rate?
A: Lower rates are better. Industry benchmarks vary, but generally a rate below the industry average is considered good performance. Rates are typically compared within the same industry.

Q2: How does severity rate differ from incidence rate?
A: Incidence rate measures the frequency of recordable incidents, while severity rate measures the seriousness of those incidents based on lost workdays.

Q3: What time period should be used for calculation?
A: Typically, companies calculate these rates annually, but they can be calculated for any period (quarterly, monthly) for more frequent monitoring.

Q4: Are all lost workdays counted the same?
A: Yes, OSHA counts calendar days rather than work days, including weekends and holidays that occur during the absence period.

Q5: What if an employee never returns to work?
A: OSHA provides specific guidance for permanent disabilities and fatalities, which may involve different calculation methods for these severe cases.