What does “DART rate” mean?
Short answer
The DART rate counts OSHA cases with days away, restricted work or job transfer per 100 full-time workers. The formula is cases × 200,000 ÷ hours worked.
Also known as: days away, restricted or transferred rate, DART incident rate
The formula
OSHA's formula for an incidence rate is (number of injuries and illnesses × 200,000) ÷ employee hours worked. For DART, use the cases in the days-away and job-transfer-or-restriction columns of the Form 300 or 300A. The total case rate adds the other-recordable column.
BLS explains the 200,000: 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, the hours 100 full-time employees commonly work in a year.
Example: 4 DART cases and 500,000 hours worked. 4 × 200,000 = 800,000. Divide by 500,000 to get 1.6 cases per 100 full-time workers.
How to read it
DART counts cases, not days. It leaves out cases that were recordable only for medical treatment beyond first aid. So DART is never higher than the total recordable rate. Compare with the BLS rate for your industry, not one national number.
Mix-up: restricted work is not lost time. DART counts restricted and transferred cases. A lost-time rate usually counts only cases with days away. Count days under 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(3), starting the day after the injury.
Use the TRIR and DART calculator to run your own numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What does DART stand for?
Days Away, Restricted or Transferred. It covers recordable cases with missed work, restricted duty or a job move. OSHA computes it from two columns of the Form 300 or 300A.
Why is 200,000 hours used?
It equals 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, the hours 100 full-time employees work in a year. It gives cases per 100 workers at any company size.
What is the difference between DART and TRIR?
TRIR counts every recordable case. DART counts only cases with days away, restriction or transfer. Both use the same 200,000-hour formula.
Sources
- OSHA: Establishment-specific injury and illness data (rate definitions)
- BLS Handbook of Methods: Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, calculation
- OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7: General recording criteria
Reviewed against the sources above on Oct 5, 2026. Rules change: confirm current requirements with the issuing body or your counsel before relying on any summary.
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