Insurers Love This One Safety Metric—Do You Track It?
Want lower business insurance premiums? Start by tracking the safety metric insurers care about most.

If you're a business leader looking to reduce business insurance premiums, there’s one thing that could save you more than just money: proving that you take safety seriously.
In fact, one of the most important workplace safety metrics insurers analyze is your Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR). Improving this metric doesn’t just protect your employees—it sends a powerful message to insurance carriers that you’re minimizing risk, making you a better candidate for insurance premium discounts for safety.
Why TRIR Is the Secret Weapon to Lowering Premiums
Your Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) is a standardized way to measure workplace injuries and illnesses. A lower TRIR means fewer recordable incidents—which means less perceived risk for insurers. That's why TRIR improvement is one of the top strategies to lower workers comp costs and general liability premiums.
It’s not just about past claims. Insurers also look at your risk management best practices. If they see that you're actively investing in business safety audits, third-party safety assessments, and employee safety training, it shows a proactive risk posture that can lead to better pricing.
The Hidden ROI of a Workplace Safety Program
Most leaders think about safety in terms of compliance. But the smartest companies treat it like a financial strategy. The ROI of a workplace safety program goes far beyond injury prevention—it helps:
- Lower workers comp insurance costs
- Earn insurance premium discounts
- Boost employee morale and retention
- Win contracts by proving safety excellence
When you build a culture of safety, everyone wins—including your bottom line.
4 Ways to Show Insurers You’re Serious About Risk Management
To truly influence your premiums, you need to prove that you're actively reducing risk. Here’s how to start:
- Track your TRIR and show improvement: Make this key metric visible in internal and external reporting.
- Schedule a third-party safety assessment: Insurers trust outside expertise—get an objective view of your risks.
- Invest in strategic employee safety training: Not just one-off sessions—ongoing, role-specific education tailored for insurers' standards.
- Document your proactive actions: From hazard mitigation to PPE protocols, show the paper trail of your safety investments.
These steps offer immediate business safety audit benefits and long-term credibility with insurance carriers.
Start Lowering Your TRIR Now
Want to know how to lower workers comp costs and general liability premiums? Start with your safety metrics. Insurers love data. If you can prove you’re managing risk and improving your TRIR, you’ll not only create a safer workplace—you’ll also qualify for meaningful insurance premium discounts for safety.
At YellowBird, we help companies turn safety into savings. From running comprehensive construction safety audits to filling short- or long-term safety roles, YellowBird is your flexible, on-call partner in building a safer future. Contact us today, or match with an expert.