Work-related injury and illness cost 3.9 % of the world’s GDP, or roughly €2,680 billion a year, according to new research from the ILO and EU-OSHA.
News
NEWS: €2.68 billion a year spent worldwide on injuries at work
The estimates were presented for the start of the XXI World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, held in Singapore from 3‑6 September.
In further findings; work-related illnesses accounted for 86 % of all deaths related to work worldwide, and 98 % of those in the EU. In most European countries, work-related cancer accounts for the majority of costs (€119.5 billion or 0.81% of the EU’s GDP), with musculoskeletal disorders being the second largest contributor.
Research was conducted by the International Labour Organization and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) as part of a project to calculate the cost of poor occupational safety and health (OSH).
Director of EU-OSHA, Dr Christa Sedlatschek, commented: "Safe and healthy work is a fundamental human right but these new estimates of the costs of poor or non-existent OSH measures show that the economic case for OSH has never been stronger.
Work-related ill-health and injury is costing the European Union 3.3 % of its GDP. That’s €476 billion every year which could be saved with the right occupational safety and health strategies, policies and practices."
To see infographics created by EU-OSHA for the study, click here
NEWS

Review to consider future of work in post-Covid era
By Belinda Liversedge on 09 June 2022
The government has appointed MP Matt Warman to lead a review into the future of work.

Haulage sector faces deadline to raise roadside standards
By Belinda Liversedge on 06 June 2022
The government must force road freight operators to improve welfare conditions for drivers or more of them will leave the sector, a committee has warned.

Support the UK’s Clean Air Day, 16 June 2022
By Global Action Plan on 01 June 2022
Global Action Plan co-ordinates the UK’s largest campaign on air pollution, Clean Air Day.