It is a fact that fewer accidents means less sick leave, which results in lower costs and less disruption to the production process. It also saves employers the expense of recruiting and training new staff, and can cut the cost of early retirement and insurance pay-outs. As well as the cost in terms of lost lives and suffering to workers and their families, accidents affect business and society as a whole. A healthy and safe work environment is not only desirable, but also contributes to labour productivity and promotes economics growth.
Across the EU, two-thirds of all fatalities occurred in three sectors – construction, transportation/storage and agriculture/fishing/fishing. Slips, trips and falls are the largest cause of accidents in all sectors from heavy manufacturing to office work. Other hazards include falling objects, thermal and chemical burns, fires and explosions, dangerous substances and stress. Furthermore, approximately 23 million people had a health problem caused or made worse by work across a 12-month period (Eurostat, 2010).
A recently-published EU-OSHA report,
Estimating the cost of accidents and ill-health at work: a review of methodologies, summarises that the costs of work-related injuries and illness can be extensive. In the EU-27 in 2007, 5,580 accidents at the workplace resulted in death and 2.9 % of the workforce had an accident at work that resulted in more than three days of absence. Accidents, where a person is injured at a place of work and cannot perform their normal work for more than 3 consecutive days, not including the day of the accident, are reportable to the Health and safety Authority.
The estimation of costs to a company can be substantial. Costs are categorised into five main types.
- Productivity costs: costs related to decreases in output or production.
- Healthcare costs: medical costs, including both direct (e.g. pharmaceuticals) and indirect (e.g. caregiver time).
- Quality of life losses: monetary valuation of the decrease in quality of life, such as physical pain and suffering.
- Administration costs: costs of administration, for example, reporting on a workplace accident.
- Insurance costs: costs regarding insurance, such as compensation payments and insurance premiums.
To prevent accidents occurring in the workplace, employers should establish a safety management system that incorporates risk assessment and monitoring procedures.
Call us at Peninsula Business Services (Ireland) Ltd for more details on 0818 923 923.
The Peninsula BusinessSafe service covers-
- A review of the way you manage health and safety in your premises and is conducted by qualified Health & Safety Consultants to identify areas of non-compliance with legal requirements. You will receive a report advising on how to use best practice and achieve compliance with legal obligations.
- The preparation and installation of a bespoke Health & Safety management system, developed for your business, including the organisation, specific arrangements and monitoring procedures required for its effective implementation.
- Regular visits to service your Health & Safety management system and advice on continuing legal compliance.
- Access to a 24 hour Telephone Advice service supported by qualified Health & Safety Consultants.
Patricia O’Malley is a Technical Advisor working with Peninsula Business Services (Ireland) Ltd; who are Ireland’s leading provider of employment law and health & safety services. Established in Ireland since 1997, we have thousands of businesses who have already integrated Peninsula to work as part of their HR and Health & Safety departments. With offices in Dublin, Belfast, Sydney and Manchester, Peninsula employs 1000 people across Ireland, Australia and the UK.
