What is a Lost Time Injury?

What is a Lost Time Injury (LTI)?

A Lost Time Injury occurs when a worker is hurt on the job and cannot return to work for at least one full day or shift. If they come back on the same day, even in a limited capacity, it doesn’t count as an LTI.

An injury qualifies as an LTI if the affected worker:

• Is unable to perform regular duties
• Needs time off to recover
• Is assigned modified duties during recovery

Sometimes referred to as a Lost Time Incident or Lost Time Case, LTIs disrupt work, affecting both the worker’s health and the company's productivity.

Examples of Lost Time Injuries

Lost time injuries happen in various ways. Here are some common examples:

• Slips, Trips, and Falls: A worker slips on a wet floor, breaks a bone, and needs time off to heal.
• Severe Burns: Handling hot materials leads to severe burns, keeping the worker from returning to work for a period.
• Back Injuries: Lifting heavy objects incorrectly results in a serious back injury, requiring rehabilitation.
• Head Injuries: A worker hit by a falling object sustains a concussion, forcing them to take time off.

Injuries like these can limit a worker’s ability to perform their job and decrease a company’s overall productivity. Recognizing their impact is important, as is ensuring support for injured workers.

How to Calculate Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)

The lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) is a key metric used to track the number of LTIs in relation to the total hours worked in a company. This metric helps organizations assess their safety performance.

Formula

The formula for calculating the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) is  as follows:

LTIFR =(Total hours worked in that period / Number of LTIs in a period​) × 200,000

This formula uses a multiplier of 200,000 to express the frequency of LTIs per million hours worked.

Example of LTIFR Calculation

Let’s say a company has reported 5 lost time injuries in a year, and its employees have worked a total of 500,000 hours during that time. Using the formula:

LTIFR= (5/ 500,000​) × 200,000 = 2

This means the company recorded 2 lost time injuries for every 200,000 hours worked, giving a clear view of their safety performance.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate Calculator

If you want to calculate your LTIFR, you can use the calculator below:

Why It's Important to Calculate LTIs

Calculating lost time injuries is important for several reasons:

• Workplace Safety: Tracking Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) helps companies spot unsafe conditions and identify areas for improvement.  
• Benchmarking: Organizations can measure their safety performance against industry standards to see how they compare.  
• Legal Compliance: Certain industries must report LTIs to regulatory bodies, making accurate tracking crucial.  
• Cost Reduction: LTIs can lead to higher costs from lost productivity, medical expenses, and compensation claims. By monitoring LTIs, companies can take steps to reduce risks and control these costs.

Other Key Safety Metrics

LTIs are just one piece of the safety puzzle. Metrics like the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), Safety Observation Frequency Rate (SOFR), and safety training completion rates all provide valuable insights into workplace safety culture. Be sure to check out our blog post on these essential safety KPIs for more information.

Conclusion

Understanding Lost Time Injuries and how to calculate them is vital for creating a safer work environment. By keeping track of LTIs, front-line workers and HSE professionals can take proactive steps to reduce accidents and protect their teams.

At YOUFactors, we know that building safer habits is key to reducing injuries, including LTIs. Our digital tools help workers integrate safety into their daily routines, turning safety into second nature. Over time, this leads to fewer accidents and a stronger, more resilient workplace.

Ready to start building safer habits? Get in touch with us to learn how YOUFactors can help you reduce lost time injuries and transform your safety culture.

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