Objectives:The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of occupational safety and health interventions from the employer perspective.Methods:A comprehensive literature search (2005 to 2016) in five electronic databases was conducted. Pre-2005 studies were identified from the reference lists of previous studies and systematic reviews, which have similar objective to those of this search.Results:A total of 19 randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were included, targeting diverse health problems in a number of settings. Few studies included organizational-level interventions. When viewed in relation to the methodological quality and the sufficiency of economic evidence, five of 11 cost-effective occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions appear to be promising.Conclusion:The present systematic review highlights the need for high-quality economic evidence to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of OSH interventions, especially at organizational-level, in all areas of worker health.

Background: Economic burden due to premature mortality has a negative impact not only in health systems but also in wider society. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential years of work lost (PYWL) and the productivity costs of premature mortality due to Chagas disease in Colombia from 2010 to 2017. Methods: National data on mortality (underlying cause of death) were obtained from the National Administrative Department of Statistics in Colombia between 2010 and 2017, in which Chagas disease was mentioned on the death certificate as an underlying or associated cause of death. Chagas disease as a cause of death corresponded to category B57 (Chagas disease) including all subcategories (B57.0 to B57.5), according to the Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). The electronic database contains the number of deaths from all causes by sex and 5-year age group. Economic data, including wages, unemployment rates, labor force participation rates and gross domestic product, were derived from the Bank of the Republic of Colombia. The human capital approach was applied to estimate both the PYWL and present value of lifetime income lost due to premature deaths. A discount rate of 3% was applied and results are presented in 2017 US dollars (USD). Results: There were 1261 deaths in the study, of which, 60% occurred in males. Premature deaths from Chagas resulted in 48,621 PYWL and a cost of USD 29 million in the present value of lifetime income forgone. Conclusion: The productivity costs of premature mortality due to Chagas disease are significant. These results provide an economic measure of the Chagas burden which can help policy makers allocate resources to continue with early detection programs.

ObjectiveTo determine whether investment in preventive measures by a Colombian insurer reduces rates of work‐related injuries and results in positive returns from these investments.MethodsThe study is based on monthly panel data of 2011‐2015 of 303 medium and large companies affiliated with a private insurer in Colombia. We undertook regression modeling analysis to assess the effectiveness of incremental investments in occupational health and safety (OHS) prevention measures. The cost‐benefit analysis is from the insurer's perspective.ResultsInvestment in OHS per full‐time equivalent was statistically significant at the 1% level. We estimated that 4919 injuries were averted through these investments, resulting in the avoidance of $3 949 957 in costs. Our results suggest that the investments were worth undertaking from the insurer's perspective.ConclusionsThis paper provides new empirical evidence on the effectiveness and cost‐benefit of OHS investments in a middle‐income country. Incremental investment in OHS can be effective and cost‐beneficial.