TRIR for Cleaning Contractors Explained:
Formula, Benchmarks, and What It Actually Means

The TRIR Formula

TRIR is a normalized rate that allows comparison across companies of different sizes. The formula is straightforward.

Example: a cleaning company with 50 workers, 85,000 total hours worked in the year, and 4 recordable incidents. TRIR = (4 × 200,000) ÷ 85,000 = 800,000 ÷ 85,000 = 9.4. That is a very high TRIR indicating serious safety problems.

Another example: 120 workers, 220,000 total hours, 3 recordable incidents. TRIR = (3 × 200,000) ÷ 220,000 = 600,000 ÷ 220,000 = 2.7. That is above average for the cleaning sector but not disqualifying on its own. Context from the OSHA 300 log (what types of incidents, were they preventable, what corrective actions were taken) matters alongside the number.

What Counts as an OSHA Recordable Incident

OSHA's definition of a recordable incident is precise. It covers any work-related injury or illness that results in any of the following: days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, diagnosis of a significant injury or illness by a healthcare professional, or death.

First aid treatment alone does not make an incident recordable. First aid includes non-prescription medication at non-prescription strength, tetanus shots, cleaning wounds, bandaging, use of hot or cold therapy, and physical therapy as a preventive measure. If treatment goes beyond these categories, it is recordable.

Common recordable incidents in the cleaning sector include: slip and fall injuries requiring medical care or restricted duty, musculoskeletal injuries from repetitive motion or lifting, chemical exposure injuries, cuts requiring stitches, and back injuries with restricted duty. The OSHA 300 log itemizes each incident with the type of injury and the days of restricted duty or days away from work, which gives you insight into the severity pattern beyond the raw count.

TRIR Benchmarks for Cleaning Contractors

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes annual injury and illness data by industry classification. For NAICS 5617 (Services to Buildings and Dwellings, which includes janitorial services), the published incidence rates provide the most defensible industry benchmark.

How to Verify the OSHA 300 Log

Requesting a TRIR claim is not sufficient. Calculating TRIR independently from source documents is the only way to verify it. Here is the verification process.

• Request the OSHA 300 log for the prior two years: The OSHA 300 log is the primary record. It lists each recordable incident with the employee name, job title, date, location, description of injury or illness, and the number of days away from work or restricted duty. OSHA requires employers with 10 or more employees to maintain this log. Employers with fewer than 10 employees are partially exempt, which is something to note when evaluating small vendors.
• Request the OSHA 300A summary: The 300A is the annual summary that consolidates the 300 log into totals for each category of incident. It also includes total hours worked, which is essential for calculating TRIR. The 300A must be certified by a company executive and must be posted in the workplace February 1 through April 30 each year.
• Calculate TRIR independently: Do not use the vendor's stated TRIR. Use the incident count from the 300 log and the hours worked from the 300A to calculate the rate yourself using the formula: (incidents × 200,000) ÷ hours worked. If the result differs significantly from the vendor's stated TRIR, ask for an explanation.
• Review incident descriptions: The 300 log narratives tell you more than the number. Are the incidents slip-and-fall in the vendor's own facility, or are they incidents that occurred at client sites? Are incidents concentrated in specific time periods that might suggest a specific crew or account? Are there repeat incident types that suggest an unresolved systemic problem?
• Cross-reference with EMR: TRIR and EMR together tell a more complete story. A vendor with a TRIR of 2.5 and an EMR of 0.8 has a moderate incident frequency but low claim severity. A vendor with a TRIR of 2.5 and an EMR of 1.4 has the same incident frequency but much higher claim cost, which may indicate more severe injuries or inadequate return-to-work protocols.

How TRIR Affects Avetta Standing

Avetta and ISNetworld both collect OSHA 300 log data as part of the annual compliance submission. The platforms use that data to calculate TRIR for the vendor profile. Client administrators can configure TRIR thresholds: vendors whose TRIR exceeds the configured maximum are flagged as non-compliant, and depending on the configuration, their workers may not receive site access approval.

The practical implications are significant. A cleaning vendor with a TRIR of 3.5 may be able to win a contract at a non-Avetta facility, but at an Avetta-managed manufacturing account with a 3.0 TRIR maximum, that vendor cannot get workers through the door. The TRIR is not just an evaluation input during procurement: it is a live operational variable that affects whether the vendor can deliver on the contract at all.

TRIR is recalculated annually when the vendor submits their updated OSHA 300 log. A vendor who was in compliance at the time of award can fall out of compliance the following year if their incident rate increases. That is a risk to build into any multi-year contract structure: specify that continued Avetta compliance is a contract requirement and that a TRIR increase that causes a compliance lapse is a material breach.

For more on the full Avetta compliance framework and how to maintain it, see our Avetta compliance guide for facility services vendors.

Host Employer Liability: Why the Contractor's TRIR Is Your Problem Too

OSHA's multi-employer worksite policy creates liability exposure for host employers when contractor workers are injured on their premises. Under this doctrine, OSHA can cite a host employer as a controlling or correcting employer even when the injured worker is employed by the contractor, not the host.

The controlling employer citation applies when the host employer had supervisory authority over the work area where the hazard existed. In cleaning contractor relationships, this frequently applies because the host employer controls the facility, specifies access to work areas, and has the ability to correct or remove hazards in those areas. If a cleaning worker is injured by a wet floor hazard, a poorly maintained piece of equipment, or an environmental condition that your facility created and you knew about, OSHA can cite you alongside the contractor.

The correcting employer citation applies when the host employer was responsible for correcting a hazard that they had the authority to fix and failed to do so. If your facility manager noticed that a cleaning crew was using a standard vacuum in a combustible dust area and did not intervene, that is potential correcting employer exposure.

A cleaning contractor with a high TRIR is more likely to have a recordable incident on your premises than one with a low TRIR. That increased likelihood translates directly into increased probability of a multi-employer OSHA investigation at your facility. Selecting a vendor with a demonstrably strong safety record is not just a risk management preference: it is a direct reduction in your own regulatory exposure.

What to Do When a Vendor's TRIR Is Above Your Threshold

A TRIR above your threshold is not automatically a conversation-ender if the vendor is otherwise qualified and the rate reflects a specific, isolated incident rather than a systemic safety problem. Here is a rational approach.

First, understand the composition of the incidents. A TRIR of 2.8 driven by two slip-and-fall incidents in the vendor's own facility tells a different story than a TRIR of 2.8 driven by a serious chemical exposure at a client site. Ask the vendor to explain each incident in the 300 log: what happened, what was the root cause, what corrective action was taken, and whether a similar incident has recurred since.

Second, look at the trend. A vendor with a TRIR of 2.5 whose rate has been declining over three consecutive years (4.0, 3.2, 2.5) is demonstrating improvement. A vendor whose rate has been stable at 2.5 for three years is demonstrating stagnation. Trend matters.

Third, confirm that the TRIR threshold your facility applies is appropriate for the environment. For a standard office building with no industrial hazards, a TRIR below 3.0 is a reasonable threshold. For a manufacturing plant with energized equipment, forklift traffic, and chemical hazards, below 2.0 is a more appropriate standard. Match the threshold to the risk profile of your environment.

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