What is the difference between DART rate and TRIR?

TRIR counts all OSHA-recordable injuries and illnesses, while DART counts only the more severe subset that result in days away from work, restricted duty, or job transfer. DART is always less than or equal to TRIR. Operators often evaluate both side-by-side: TRIR measures incident frequency, DART measures incident severity. A contractor with a low TRIR but high DART is typically flagged because it signals that when incidents occur, they are serious.

How do I calculate the DART rate?

Use the formula: DART Rate = (Number of DART Cases × 200,000) ÷ Total Hours Worked. The 200,000 constant represents 100 full-time employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks. For example, 2 DART cases over 300,000 hours worked = (2 × 200,000) ÷ 300,000 = 1.33. Use the calculator above for instant results and side-by-side TRIR comparison.

What is a good DART rate for oil and gas contractors?

For oil and gas contractors, a DART rate below 1.0 is generally acceptable to most operators, and below 0.5 is considered excellent. Major operators such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell typically set contractor prequalification thresholds between 0.5 and 1.5 DART depending on the work scope. Higher-risk activities like drilling and well intervention usually face stricter DART limits than lower-risk support services.

What counts as a DART case?

A DART case is any OSHA-recordable injury or illness that results in at least one of the following: (1) days away from work, (2) restricted work activity or motion, or (3) transfer to another job. Recordables that only required medical treatment without any of these outcomes count toward your TRIR but not your DART. See OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7 for the full definition of DART-qualifying cases.

How is DART used in ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce?

All three contractor management platforms display DART rate prominently on the contractor scorecard and allow operators to filter contractors by safety metrics. ISNetworld typically requires a 3-year rolling DART average, and the number is used to assign grades (A/B/C) that gate contractor eligibility for specific operators. A DART above the operator's threshold can automatically disqualify you from bidding on work.

How often should I calculate DART rate?

Most oil and gas contractors calculate DART monthly and maintain a 12-month rolling rate and a 3-year rolling rate. Operators and ISN typically request the 3-year rolling rate for prequalification reviews. Monitoring DART monthly helps identify negative trends before they affect your operator eligibility or insurance EMR.

Can a single DART case spike my rate?

Yes, especially for smaller contractors. A company with 100,000 hours worked and 1 DART case has a DART rate of 2.0 — already above most operator thresholds. Larger contractors with 500,000+ hours dilute the impact to 0.4. This is why small contractors are disproportionately vulnerable to a single incident, and why accurate hours tracking is as important as incident prevention.

How can I improve my DART rate?

Three levers: (1) Prevent new DART cases through stronger JSAs, toolbox talks, and PPE enforcement at the top hazards (struck-by, caught-in/between, falls, H2S exposure); (2) Classify incidents correctly — some cases are reportable but not DART-qualifying; (3) Continue accumulating safe hours worked to dilute historical cases out of the 3-year rolling window. Digital incident tracking with real-time DART calculation helps catch misclassifications that inflate your rate.

Is DART reported directly to OSHA?

DART is not reported as a standalone rate, but the underlying data (DART cases and hours worked) is tracked on OSHA Form 300 and summarized on Form 300A. Establishments covered by OSHA's Injury Tracking Application must submit 300A data annually. ISNetworld and other contractor management platforms pull DART from your OSHA 300A submissions or require you to upload them.

DART Rate Calculator

The DART rate (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred) measures the severity of workplace injuries by counting OSHA-recordable cases that result in lost workdays, restricted duty, or job transfer — per 100 full-time workers per year. Using the standard OSHA formula (DART Cases × 200,000 ÷ Total Hours Worked), it is one of the two metrics operators review most on ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce contractor scorecards. Most operators set DART thresholds between 0.5 and 1.5 for prequalification.

Excellent: Below 0.5

Acceptable: Below 1.0

Caution: 1.0 - 1.5

Quick DART Rate Check

Calculate your Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred rate using the standard OSHA formula. Compare against operator prequalification thresholds on ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce scorecards.

1Enter data

2Your DART

DART Cases

Days Away + Restricted + Transfer cases

Total Hours Worked

All employee hours in same period

Total Recordables (optional)

For side-by-side TRIR estimate

Enter your DART case count and hours worked to calculate

This calculator uses the standard OSHA formula: DART = (DART Cases × 200,000) ÷ Total Hours Worked. DART cases are OSHA-recordable incidents that result in days away from work, restricted duty, or job transfer. Common operator thresholds range from 0.5 to 1.5 depending on the operator and contract type. For 3-year rolling DART and TRIR tracking, see BasinCheck full features.

The DART Rate Formula Explained

DART = (DART Cases × 200,000) ÷ Total Hours Worked

The 200,000 constant represents 100 full-time equivalent employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks. This standardization allows comparison across companies of different sizes and is required for OSHA Form 300A.

Example: A drilling contractor with 2 DART cases and 300,000 total hours worked would have a DART rate of (2 × 200,000) ÷ 300,000 = 1.33 — above most major operator thresholds.

DART Rate vs TRIR — What's the Difference?

TRIR — Frequency

Counts all OSHA-recordable incidents including medical-treatment cases without lost time. A high TRIR means incidents are happening often.

TRIR Calculator →

DART — Severity

Counts only recordables that result in days away, restricted duty, or transfer. A high DART means incidents that do happen are serious.

Always ≤ TRIR

Why operators review both

A contractor with a low TRIR but high DART is often flagged by operator safety teams because it signals that when incidents do happen, they're severe. The opposite — high TRIR but low DART — suggests a culture of reporting minor injuries but controlling severity. Operators want both numbers trending down.

Common Operator DART Thresholds

Major Operators

Large operators like Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell typically require DART below 1.0, with drilling and high-risk work requiring below 0.5.

ISNetworld / Avetta / Veriforce

All three platforms display DART prominently on contractor scorecards and use 3-year rolling averages. Operators can filter contractors by DART thresholds automatically.

Industry Benchmark Context

The BLS national average DART rate for all private industry is roughly 1.5. Oil and gas support activities (NAICS 213112) historically trend below that, while drilling (NAICS 213111) varies more with activity cycles. Verify your specific operator's current threshold with their contractor management team or on ISNetworld.

Track DART Automatically with BasinCheck

BasinCheck calculates your DART rate in real-time from incident data alongside TRIR. See 3-year rolling averages, what-if scenarios, and get alerts before you breach operator thresholds.

Side-by-Side TRIR + DART

Monitor both metrics on one dashboard so you can spot a frequency vs severity mismatch before an operator does.

3-Year Rolling Average

Track the 3-year rolling DART that operators request during prequalification. See trends and projections.

Operator Threshold Alerts

Set custom DART thresholds per operator. Get notified when you're approaching limits before bidding is affected.

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