Factsheet 28 - Economic appraisal of preventing work accidents at company level
Improvement of safety and health at work can bring economic benefits for companies. Accidents and occupational diseases can give rise to heavy costs to the company. For small companies particularly, occupational accidents can have a major financial impact. Information and perceptions about future effects of decisions, preferably expressed in monetary terms, help employers in the decision-making process. The true value of economic appraisal is in influencing the beliefs of decision-makers and policy makers. For maximum effectiveness in this respect, economic appraisal should be a joint activity of all stakeholders. An effective way is to make financial or economic estimations and give a realistic overview of the total costs of accidents and the benefits of preventing these.
:
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
:
30.07.2002
:
TE0202008END
Order a printed copy of this document!
Organisations deal with OSH in different ways: some organisations have little expertise in OSH and react to problems such as occupational accidents, work-related diseases and absenteeism in an ad hoc way, while others strive to manage OSH more systematically, and even proactively, by implementing OSH into the organisation’s overall management. This report aims to provide evidence and information on how OSH can be incorporated into general management and business, thereby achieving safer and healthier working environments, and better general organisational performance.
This report comprises three main parts, each with a different specific focus: (1) a literature review, (2) an overview of related policies, and (3) a report of case studies and good practice. Readers should refer to the appropriate sections of the report for more detailed discussions and further information about each area.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common occupational disease in the European Union and workers in all sectors and occupations can be affected. Recent figures, for example from Austria, Germany or France, also demonstrate an increasing impact of musculoskeletal disorders on costs. This latest report, following on from the Agency’s previous research, aims to give an updated overview of the current European situation as regards musculoskeletal disorders, the trends over the years since the first campaign in 2000, and a detailed insight into the causes and circumstances behind MSDs. The report highlights the main issues and aims to provide a well-founded evidence base, helping policy makers, actors at enterprise and sector level, as well as researchers and those who record, prevent and compensate occupational diseases in the European Union to set the agenda for the next years.
Organisations deal with occupational safety and health (OSH) in different ways. Some have little expertise in OSH and simply react to occupational accidents, work-related diseases and absenteeism as they arise. Others strive to manage OSH more systematically and proactively by mainstreaming OSH into the organisation’s overall management. A report aimed at providing information on how OSH can be incorporated into general business management is summarized in Factsheet 92. The report comprises a literature review, an overview of related policies and examples of good practice.
Show more publications on
Accident Prevention
&
Business aspects of OSH
- Upcoming Events
- 3. Gesundheitsgipfel mit dem Thema: Führung und die vielfältigen Potenziale der Beschäftigten DE Grainau, 08.08.2010
- T2010, the tri-annual meeting of the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety NO Oslo, 22.08.2010
- PREMUS 2010. 7th International Conference on Prevention of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders FR Angers, 28.08.2010
- 5th China International Forum on Work Safety CN Beijing, 01.09.2010
- Nationale Tagung für betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung 2010 Freiburg - Schweiz, 02.09.2010
