LTIFR calculator: lost time injury frequency rate
LTIFR is the number of lost-time injuries per million hours worked. Enter your figures below to calculate it.
The LTIFR formula
LTIFR = (number of lost-time injuries in the period ÷ total hours worked in the period) x 1,000,000
This is the frequency rate formula in the Australian Standard for workplace injury and disease recording, AS 1885.1-1990. “Hours worked” means all hours worked by all workers in the recording unit, including overtime and extra shifts.
Worked example
A business has 3 lost-time injuries in a year and its workers put in 450,000 hours. 3 ÷ 450,000 x 1,000,000 = an LTIFR of 6.67.
What counts as a lost-time injury?
AS 1885.1 defines lost-time injuries and diseases as occurrences that result in a fatality, permanent disability, or time lost from work of one day or shift or more. Injuries treated with first aid or medical treatment with no time lost are recorded as no lost-time injuries, and aren’t counted in LTIFR.
Don’t rely on LTIFR alone
Safe Work Australia retired its own LTIFR calculator in May 2025, replacing it with new data reporting tools. It noted the calculator had limitations when used in isolation to measure WHS performance. Its review of WHS performance measurement points out that LTIFR only captures injuries that cause time off and that the injuries it counts can vary a lot in severity. A low LTIFR doesn’t mean critical risks are controlled.
Use it alongside lead indicators such as inspections done, corrective actions closed on time, hazard reports and the status of critical controls. Safe Work Australia now publishes workers’ compensation injury frequency rates (WCIFR) by industry on its data website, which you can filter to lost-time claims for benchmarking. Those figures come from compensation claims, so they won’t line up exactly with an LTIFR built from your own injury records.
Reporting LTIFR
- Use the same period and the same group of workers for both numbers.
- Decide up front whether contractors are in or out, and say so in the report.
- Show a rolling 12-month figure so a single bad month doesn’t swamp the trend.
- Report the raw injury count next to the rate. Small businesses can see big swings from a single injury.
Track incidents and the actions that follow
Lahebo records incidents and the corrective actions that follow, and its reports and dashboards track risks and actions, so your board report shows more than LTIFR. See WHS risk management.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate LTIFR?
Divide the number of lost-time injuries by the total hours worked in the same period, then multiply by 1,000,000.
What is a good LTIFR?
It depends on industry, and comparisons only work if everyone counts the same way. Safe Work Australia’s workers’ compensation injury frequency rate (WCIFR) dashboard lets you compare lost-time claim rates by industry. Watch your own trend and your lead indicators rather than a single target number.
Why did Safe Work Australia retire its LTIFR calculator?
In May 2025 it replaced the calculator with new data reporting tools, noting the calculator had limitations when used in isolation to measure WHS performance.
Sources
- AS 1885.1-1990 Workplace injury and disease recording standard, cl 3.5 and cl 6.12 to 6.14 (published by Safe Work Australia)
- Safe Work Australia, “Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) calculator now retired”, 19 May 2025
- Safe Work Australia, Issues in the measurement and reporting of work health and safety performance: a review
- Safe Work Australia data website, Workers’ compensation injury frequency rates dashboard
