Lost Workday Rate (LWR) Calculator | Measure Productivity Loss

Lost Workday Rate Calculator

The Lost Workday Rate (LWR) is a safety metric that quantifies the number of workdays lost due to occupational injuries and illnesses, standardized per 100 full-time employees. It provides insight into the severity of workplace incidents, helping organizations evaluate how much productive time is being lost to workplace-related health issues.

The LWR is a critical component of any health and safety monitoring program and is often used for regulatory reporting, internal benchmarking, and safety improvement planning.

Why is Lost Workday Rate Important?

Tracking Lost Workday Rate helps organizations:

  • 📉 Understand the impact of injuries on productivity
  • 🧾 Comply with OSHA and health & safety standards
  • 📊 Benchmark safety performance across departments or industries
  • 🚑 Identify high-risk tasks and implement improvements
  • 💼 Protect employee well-being and reduce costs

The formula for calculating LWR is:

Number of Lost Workdays X 200,000 / Total Hours Worked

Where:

  • Lost Workdays = Total number of workdays missed due to work-related injuries or illnesses.
  • Total Hours Worked = Combined hours worked by all employees during the reporting period.
  • 200,000 = The base number of hours worked annually by 100 full-time employees (40 hrs/week × 50 weeks × 100 employees).

To lower your LWR:

  • 🧰 Provide proper training and protective equipment
  • 🛠️ Improve workstation design and ergonomics
  • 📢 Encourage prompt reporting of injuries and near misses
  • 📋 Conduct thorough incident investigations
  • 🔁 Reassign or rotate duties to reduce repetitive stress