GUIDE TO LOST TIME INJURY BOARDS

A lost time injury board is a bold and effective tool in the communication and prevention of the number of accidents in the workplace. By keeping track of accidents and openly sharing this to both staff and visitors, each individual is kept in the loop and is made aware of the importance of working safely and the effect that not doing so can have. Lost time injury boards can be suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The following guide aims to identify in depth what lost injury time is, why this matters, and how to improve lost time injury rate, as well as explore further relevant areas and provide an overview of the product as a whole. What is Lost Injury Time? Lost injury time is any time that has been lost due to an injury sustained in the workplace. The tracking of lost injury time is highly important as this time can be a useful measure when establishing the effectiveness of a work place’s safety performance. Furthermore, implications on the work place’s overall productivity can also be deduced from the calculation of the lost time injury rate. What is a Lost Time Accident? A lost time accident refers to any incident that results in keeping an employee away from work for any period of time, as well as permanent disabilities and conditions that may prevent an employee from ever returning to the job or performing their regular work tasks. Such incidents may include, but are not limited to, slips, trips and falls, sprains or strains, struck by a moving or falling object, and contact with electricity or an electrical charge. Why Lost Injury Time Matters Any lost time due to injury can have a drastic impact on a workplace, particularly concerning operating costs and general productivity. When an employee is away from work, productivity is likely to go down as not as many tasks can be performed when understaffed. Moreover, this may also effect the stress level of other employees, whom may experience a large increase in workload in order to cover what would have otherwise been carried out by the absent employee. If an employee is unable to work for an extended period of time or cannot return to work indefinitely, costs may increase whilst the productivity potentially decreases. Should an employee not return to work the position will most likely need to be filled, so in addition to the cost of recruitment, there will be a vast drop in productivity whilst staff dedicate time to the recruitment process, followed by inductions and training of the new staff member. Calculating lost injury time can be used as a key indicator of the effectiveness of a company’s health and safety performance, which safety departments and key employees, can use to establish when and where injuries may be occurring. Suitable processes can be put in place to help in the prevention of similar incidents from occurring again in future instances. How to Calculate Lost Time Injury Rate To calculate lost time injury rate, there is a simple formula that can be used. Firstly, divide the total number of lost time injuries in a given time period by the total number of hours worked in the given period. Multiply the sum of this by 200,000. 200,000 is a generally accepted baseline number of a lost time injury calculation as this represents 100 employees working for approximately 50 weeks in a year. The calculation itself will appear as (LTI/Total number of hours in the given period) x 200,000. As an example; if a company has experienced 2 injuries resulting in lost time, over 175,000 hours worked (hours taken from each individual employee), the calculation will read: (2/175,000) x 200,000 = 2.29 lost time injury rate per 200,000 hours worked. This calculation is an excellent indication in regards to an organisation’s safety performance. It can be deduced that the lower the figure as calculated by this formula, the better the organisation’s safety performance. Lost Time Injury Boards provide a permanent high visibility reminder to help increase awareness and reduce accidents in the workplace. The Lost Time Injury Board is a dynamic, eye-catching display to help keep staff and visitors informed of the time lost as well as the number of incidents occurring. This visual measure of lost injury time can act as a reminder to take extra care around the workplace, enhancing the safety of all employees and visitors. What Is the Lost Time Injury Average Rate? Lost time injury rates vary from industry to industry, and the likelihood of suffering from an injury caused at work is statistically a lot more likely in some industries than others. For example, in the construction industry in the UK, an average of around 61,000 workers sustain a non-fatal injury, and 40 are fatally injured. These injuries are mainly from slips, trips and falls, handling, lifting or carrying, and falls from a height. Similarly, around 66,000 non-fatal injuries are sustained on average across the UK manufacturing industry, and 15 workers are fatally injured. In contrast, in the public administration and defence industry in the UK has an average of around 41,000 workers sustaining a non-fatal injury, and 3 are fatally injured. How to Improve Lost Injury Time Rate Seeking to improve lost injury time rates is key in improving workplace productivity and saving costs. There are many ways in which a lost injury time rate can lower, including hazard assessments, employee training and lost time injury boards. Hazard assessments: Before any work is conducted, in any environment, a hazard assessment should be conducted. Any hazard recognised within the work environment should be documented, thus allowing the appropriate precautions to be put in place. This can include PPE for employees and visitors, first aid kits and signage. All health and safety signage is a vital measure in the prevention of lost time injuries, as this will serve as a visual reminder of potential hazards, making people aware of them and how to act or work accordingly. Employee training: Investment into employee safety training is another key point when reducing lost injury time rates. Regular safety sessions with employees can help to provide further awareness of all potential hazards, as well as give full training in regards to the appropriate actions required to work safely to prevent accidents from happening and in the event of an accident occurring. Lost time injury board: As previously mentioned, a lost time injury board is an extremely effective tool in the prevention of lost injury time. In addition to standard signage, a lost time injury board promotes safety and reinforces the best practices for safe working. Digital LED boards can be updated instantly, ensuring information is consistently up-to-date and accurate. Conclusion Lost injury time can be caused by a range of incidents including slips, trips and falls, sprains or strains, struck by a moving or falling object, and contact with electricity, all of which can have a profound impact on any organisation, particularly in terms of productivity and expenses. To reduce the risk of any lost time due to injuries in the workplace, extensive measures should be put in place. This can include hazard assessments, employee training and the use of lost time injury boards. A simple calculation can deduce an organisation’s lost time injury rate, indicating the effectiveness of the safety programme the organisation has in place. The lower the lost time injury rate figure, the higher the effectiveness of the safety programme. This figure can be used to assess the safety of the organisation and where this can be improved. Lost time injury boards provide a permanent, highly visible reminder to help to increase awareness and reduce accidents in the workplace. The Lost Time Injury Board is a dynamic, eye-catching display to help keep staff and visitors informed of the time lost as well as the number of incidents occurring. This visual measure of lost injury time can act as a reminder to take extra care around the workplace, enhancing the safety of all employees and visitors. Digital LED boards are an excellent option in demonstrating an organisation’s safety, as these can be updated instantly, ensuring information is consistently up-to-date and accurate.

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