1. What is Frequency Rate?

Frequency Rate (FR) is a safety metric that measures how often work-related injuries or illnesses occur in relation to hours worked. It's typically expressed per 200,000 hours (equivalent to 100 employees working 1 year).

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Frequency Rate formula:

Where:

• \( Incidents \) — Number of recordable injuries or illnesses
• \( Hours \) — Total hours worked by all employees
• \( Multiplier \) — Standard base (usually 200,000 hours)

Explanation: The formula normalizes incident rates across organizations of different sizes by using a standard base of hours worked.

3. Importance of Frequency Rate

Details: Frequency Rate is crucial for comparing safety performance across time periods and between organizations, regardless of size. It helps identify trends and evaluate safety program effectiveness.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of recordable incidents, total hours worked by all employees, and the multiplier (typically 200,000). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good Frequency Rate?
A: Lower is better. Industry benchmarks vary, but rates below 1.0 are generally considered excellent in most industries.

Q2: Why 200,000 hours as the multiplier?
A: It represents 100 employees working 40 hours/week for 50 weeks/year, providing a standard base for comparison.

Q3: What counts as a recordable incident?
A: Generally, any work-related injury or illness that requires medical treatment beyond first aid, results in lost time, or meets OSHA recordable criteria.

Q4: How does this differ from Severity Rate?
A: Frequency Rate measures how often incidents occur, while Severity Rate measures the lost workdays per hours worked.

Q5: Can I use different multipliers?
A: Yes, some organizations use 1,000,000 hours for rare events or different bases for international comparisons.