Contractor Safety Metrics Need a Reset, Says ISN’s Latest SIF Insights Report
Key Highlights
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Analysis of 178,000+ OSHA recordables reveals disconnect between declining TRIR and persistent serious injuries
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Gravity, motion and mechanical energy account for nearly 90% of serious injury cases
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Review of 2,400 OSHA fatality inspections identifies leading energy sources behind fatal events
DALLAS, TX — ISN, a global provider of contractor and supplier information management services, has released the Sixth Edition of its Serious Injury & Fatality (SIF) Insights White Paper, introducing an Energy-Based Safety methodology aimed at helping contractors better identify and control high-risk hazards.
While overall recordable incident rates continue to decline across industries, serious injuries and fatalities have not followed the same downward trend. ISN’s latest publication provides a data-driven framework to help safety leaders move beyond traditional lagging indicators and focus on the conditions most likely to result in life-altering events.
Moving Beyond TRIR to Target Serious Risk
Through previous editions of its SIF Insights series, ISN has analyzed more than 178,000 OSHA recordable incidents between 2017 and 2024 to identify serious injury and fatality trends. The Sixth Edition builds on that work by expanding the analytical framework and incorporating multiple reporting methodologies to better evaluate high-consequence events.
“Leading organizations with mature safety cultures recognize historical recordable injury rates, such as Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), to be less reliable indicators for reducing serious incidents and fatalities,” said Joe Schloesser, Senior Vice President at ISN. “The latest Serious Injury & Fatality Insights publication highlights the need to move toward more impactful metrics and take a data-driven approach to how hazards are recognized and addressed, including SIF and potential SIF events. By improving how high-energy risks are identified and controlled, organizations can better address the conditions leading to life-altering incidents and continue to help strengthen worker safety.”
High-Energy Hazards Drive the Majority of SIF Cases
Applying ASTM’s Level One injury classification, ISN’s findings show that lacerations, cuts and fractures account for more than 80% of contractor SIF cases within its dataset.
From an energy-source perspective, gravity, motion and mechanical energy account for nearly 90% of serious injury cases among ISN contractors. The analysis also reviewed nearly 2,400 OSHA fatality inspection records, identifying gravity and motion as the leading energy source categories in fatal events.
By reframing injury data through an energy-based lens, the White Paper encourages contractors to focus on identifying, isolating and controlling high-energy hazards before incidents occur—particularly in environments involving elevated work, moving equipment and mechanical systems.
A Data-Driven Approach to Contractor Management
For 25 years, ISN has supported organizations in developing contractor management programs, benchmarking safety performance and analyzing leading indicators tied to safety culture. The Sixth Edition of the SIF Insights White Paper reinforces the need for more precise metrics that align with real-world risk exposure, rather than relying solely on declining recordable rates.
The report is designed to help safety professionals strengthen hazard recognition processes, refine job planning and prioritize controls that address the most consequential risks.
To request a copy of ISN’s Sixth Edition Serious Injury & Fatality Insights White Paper, visit ISN’s Publications page at www.isnetworld.com/en/publications.