Economic burden of work injuries and diseases: a framework and application in five European Union countries

Abstract

Background Estimates of the economic burden of work injuries and diseases can help policymakers prioritize occupational health and safety policies and interventions in order to best allocate scarce resources. Several attempts have been made to estimate these economic burdens at the national level, but most have not included a comprehensive list of cost components, and none have attempted to implement a standard approach across several countries. The aim of our study is to develop a framework for estimating the economic burden of work injuries and diseases and implement it for selected European Union countries. Methods We develop an incidence cost framework using a bottom-up approach to estimate the societal burden of work injuries and diseases and implement it for five European Union countries. Three broad categories of costs are considered—direct healthcare, indirect productivity and intangible health-related quality of life costs. We begin with data on newly diagnosed work injuries and diseases from calendar year 2015. We consider lifetime costs for cases across all categories and incurred by all stakeholders. Sensitivity analysis is undertaken for key parameters. Results Indirect costs are the largest part of the economic burden, then direct costs and intangible costs. As a percentage of GDP, the highest overall costs are for Poland (10.4%), then Italy (6.7%), The Netherlands (3.6%), Germany (3.3%) and Finland (2.7%). The Netherlands has the highest per case costs (€75,342), then Italy (€58,411), Germany (€44,919), Finland (€43,069) and Poland (€38,918). Costs per working-age population are highest for Italy (€4956), then The Netherlands (€2930), Poland (€2793), Germany (€2527) and Finland (€2331). Conclusions Our framework serves as a template for estimating the economic burden of work injuries and diseases across countries in the European Union and elsewhere. Results can assist policymakers with identifying health and safety priority areas based on the magnitude of components, particularly when stratified by key characteristics such as industry, injury/disease, age and sex. Case costing can serve as an input into the economic evaluation of prevention initiatives. Comparisons across countries provide insights into the relevant performance of health and safety systems.

Effects of Sensor Types and Angular Velocity Computational Methods in Field Measurements of Occupational Upper Arm and Trunk Postures and Movements

“…Pain and disorders in the musculoskeletal system are one of the leading causes of quality-adjusted life-years lost due to ill health and disability [ 1 ]. On the society level, the attributed costs of occupational injuries and diseases have been estimated to be 3.9% of the gross domestic product globally, and 3.3% within the EU [ 2 ]. The major work-related risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include awkward postures, frequent movements, forceful exertion postures, heavy manual handling [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] and psychosocial factors such as job strain [ 8 ].…”

Risk of work‐related injury in workers with obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Occupational injuries not only cause loss of life and decreased quality of life, but also endanger health, productivity and the competitiveness of a country, enterprises and individuals (Tompa et al, 2021). In 2016, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) research estimated that about 22% of the 1.53 million occupation‐related deaths were attributed to occupational injury, accounting for 28% of total disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) (GBD Occupational Risk Factors Collaborators, 2020).…”

“…In 2016, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) research estimated that about 22% of the 1.53 million occupation-related deaths were attributed to occupational injury, accounting for 28% of total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (GBD Occupational Risk Factors Collaborators, 2020). A recent study of five EU countries estimated that the economic burden of work injuries and diseases could account for 3-10% of gross domestic product (GDP) (Tompa et al, 2021). Considering that occupational health and safety is a global public health issue, we conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis of the risk of WRI in workers with OSA by including the most updated literature and providing in-depth analyses.…”

Assessing the effectiveness of an ergonomics intervention program with a participatory approach: ergonomics settlement in an Iranian steel industry

“…According to the European Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in 2020, the occurrence of MSDs may increase anxiety, sleep problems and general fatigue among workers (Tompa et al 2021 ) and trigger some psycho-social risk factors and their adverse effects in the workplace inducing decreased workers’ well-being in general (Daneshmandi et al 2019 ). On the other hand, according to the study by Daneshmandi et al occupational fatigue is not only considered as a consequence of MSDs but can increase the possibility of accident occurrences and sick leave in the workplace as well (Daneshmandi et al 2017 ).…”