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DART Rate Calculator

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About the calculator


The Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate measures the number of incidents per 200,000 hours worked during a single financial year. These incidents involve days away from work, job transfer, or restriction.

DART rates are useful for drawing conclusions about the factors that contribute to lost productivity, including inadequate injury prevention. However, they should not be used to evaluate WHS performance.

Understanding DART and Recordable Incidents

No, DART (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred) cases are a subset of OSHA recordable incidents. While all DART cases are recordable incidents, not all recordable incidents are DART cases.

OSHA Recordable Incidents

These include any work-related injuries and illnesses that result in:

  • Death
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Days away from work
  • Restricted work or transfer to another job
  • Medical treatment beyond first aid
  • Diagnosis of a significant injury or illness by a healthcare professional

Additionally, any injury or illness that requires medical treatment beyond first aid, or results in a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a healthcare professional, is also considered recordable.

DART Cases

These are a subset of recordable incidents and include:

  • Days Away from work
  • Restricted work activity
  • Transfer to another job

Essentially, DART cases are the more severe cases that result in time away from work or changes in job duties.

Summary

While all DART cases are recordable incidents because they meet the criteria of requiring days away, restricted work, or job transfer, not all recordable incidents reach this level of severity. Some recordable incidents might involve medical treatment beyond first aid but do not result in time away from work or changes in job duties.

Sources

Calculating DART Rate

The formula to calculate a DART rate is:

Number of DART cases in financial year / Hours worked in financial year x 200,000

Example:

In 2022, a manufacturing company experienced 8 DART cases. The company has a workforce of 500 employees. During 2022, total hours worked by all employees was 1,000,000 hours.

To calculate the company's DART rate:
  • Number of DART cases: 8
  • Total hours worked (for all company employees) during the year: 1,000,000 hours

Use the Formula:

DART Rate=(Number of DART casesTotal hours worked)×200,000\text{DART Rate} = \left( \frac{\text{Number of DART cases}}{\text{Total hours worked}} \right) \times 200,000


DART Rate=(81,000,000)×200,000=1.6\text{DART Rate} = \left( \frac{8}{1,000,000} \right) \times 200,000 = 1.6



So, the DART rate for the manufacturing company in 2022 is 1.6. If we were to compare it to an industry standard, let's say the average manufacturing industry rate is 3.0, then the company's DART rate of 1.6 is below the industry average.

In summary:
  • Number of DART cases during the year: 8
  • Hours worked during the year: 1,000,000
  • DART Rate = 1.6

Limitations of DART Rates

  • DART rates are intended as a guide only and should be interpreted carefully.
  • DART rates are not recommended for small businesses, where changes to the number of incidents are likely to result in a DART rate that is much larger or smaller than expected.

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