Statistical analysis of socio-economic costs of accidents at work in the European Union : final report : July 2004.
Date: 2004-11-22
Institutions: Eurostat
Subjects: EU Member State, cost analysis, occupational accident, statistical method, statistics, wage cost

N
O

I
T
I

D
E

4
0
0
2

Statistical analysis
of socio-economic
costs of accidents
at work in the
European Union

3

THEME 3
Population  
and social  
conditions

E U R O P E A N
C O M M I S S I O N

 
Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union

New freephone number:
00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.
It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2004

ISSN 1725-065X
ISBN 92-894-8168-4

© European Communities, 2004

(cid:1)

STATISTICAL  ANALYSIS  OF  SOCIO-ECONOMIC  COSTS
OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Final report – July 2004

The views expressed in this document are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the European Commission

(cid:1)

PREFACE

This  project  Statistical  analysis  of  the  socio-economic  costs  of  accidents  at  work  has
been conducted by Eurostat, unit D6 Health and food safety with technical and financial
support of Directorate General Employment and Social Affairs, unit D4 Health, safety and
hygiene at work.

On 11  March  2002 the  Commission  adopted  a  new  Community  Strategy  on  Health  and
Safety  at  Work  2002-20061,2.    The  strategy  calls  to  step  up  work  in  hand  on
harmonisation  of  statistics  in  the  field  of  health  and  safety  at  work.  The  strategy  also
adopts a global approach to well-being at work, is based on consolidating a culture of risk
prevention by combining a variety of political instruments and points out that an ambitious
social  policy  is  a  factor  in  the  competitiveness  equation  while  having  a  “non-policy”
engenders  costs  on  economies  and  societies.  At  company  level,  “non-quality”  gives  the
enterprise  a  poor  public  image.  In  the  strategy  the  Commission  sets  up  a  goal  of
improving  the  fund  of  knowledge  on  the  economic  and  social  cost  of  occupational
accidents  and  illnesses.  Within  the  context  of  the  Community  Statistical  Programme
2003-20073  actions  are  launched  on  statistics  of  health  and  safety  at  work,  including
socioeconomic costs of health and safety.

Systematic information on costs of accidents at work is not available from administrative
statistical  data  sources  or  regular  surveys  on  health  and  safety  at  work.  Also  the  initial
literature  study  performed  in  this  prospect  revealed  a  lack  of  comprehensive  studies  in
this  domain.  This  project  produced  a  preliminary  model  to  estimate  these  costs  at  EU
level by a number of variables. The model was based on cost data from a questionnaire
survey and administrative statistical data on numbers and characteristics of accidents at
work and on labour costs.

Despite the preliminary nature of the model and the estimates, the results are interesting
by giving a cost perspective to safety at work matters. We have the pleasure to present
the  results  of  this  project  which  aims  to  enable  companies,  authorities  and  all  those
involved  in  prevention  of  accidents  at  work  at  society  or  company  level  to  get  a
quantitative  overview  of  the  total  costs  of accidents  at  work  and  document  the  potential
benefits of their efficient prevention.

Marleen De Smedt
Head of Unit, Eurostat
Health and Food Safety

1 Communication from the Commission COM(2002) 118 final of 11.03.2002
2 Council Resolution 2002/C 161/01
3 Decision 2367/2002/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 16.12.2002

- Page 2- 

                                                
(cid:1)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE ......................................................................................................................2

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................3

1.

2.

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4

METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................6

2.1 OVERVIEW............................................................................................................6

2.2 THE QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY ..........................................................................7

2.2.1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR COMPANIES.........................................................................7
2.2.2 EXECUTION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY ........................................................8
2.3 ESTIMATION OF COSTS ......................................................................................8

2.3.1 ESTIMATION OF COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK FOR COMPANIES ...........................9
2.3.1.1 Estimation of the relation between costs due to lost working time and all the
other costs of accidents at work to companies ..........................................................9
2.3.1.2 Estimation of costs directly due to lost working time ...................................10
2.3.1.3 Estimation of costs other than those due to lost working time.....................12
2.3.1.4 Costs of accidents leading to permanent incapacity ...................................12
2.3.1.5 Costs of fatal accidents at work ..................................................................13
RESULTS ............................................................................................................13

3.

3.1 ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN TEMPORARY INCAPACITY TO WORK ..............14

3.2 ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN PERMANENT INCAPACITY TO WORK...............15

3.3 FATAL ACCIDENTS AT WORK ..........................................................................15

4.

DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................17

ANNEX 1: CONTACTS ESTABLISHED FOR THE STUDY .........................................20

ANNEX 2: BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES...............................................................26

ANNEX 3: DESCRIPTION AND METHODOLOGY OF EXISTING MODELS...............35

ANNEX 4: FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE COMPANIES ....................................44

ANNEX 5: FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE VICTIMS ...........................................63

ANNEX 6: DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORETICAL MODEL FOR ESTIMATION OF

SOCIO-ECONOMIC COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK .........................82

ANNEX 7: SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES FOR

COMPANIES ..............................................................................................86

ANNEX 8: ESTIMATED COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK IN EU15.......................91

ANNEX 9: DESCRIPTION OF THE ESTIMATION OF COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT

WORK FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE VICTIMS ..........................100

ANNEX 10:SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES FOR

COMPANIES ............................................................................................109

- Page 3- 

(cid:1)

1.  INTRODUCTION

According to the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW), every year in the
15 Member States of the EU before accession about 5 million workers are victims of
accidents  at  work  leading  to  more  than  three  days  of  absence  from  work;
furthermore, about 5000 workers are killed in accidents at work. Besides the human
suffering, these accidents have a strong economic impact on business.

On  11  March  2002  the  Commission  adopted  a  new  Community  Strategy  on  Health
and Safety at Work 2002-20064. The strategy adopts a global approach to well-being
at work, is based on consolidating a culture of risk prevention by combining a variety
of political instruments and points out that an ambitious social policy is a factor in the
competitiveness equation while having a “non-policy” engenders costs on economies
and societies. The strategy also points out that at company level, “non-quality” gives
the enterprise a poor public image. In the strategy the Commission sets up a goal of
improving  the  fund  of  knowledge  on  the  economic  and  social  cost  of  occupational
accidents  and  illnesses.  The  new  strategy  was  endorsed  by  the  Council5,  which
points  out  that  it  is  necessary  to  integrate  health  and  safety  at  work  into  business
management and other activities giving rise to a systematic approach of well-being at
work and stresses the need to show that an effective policy on health and safety at
work  is  a  factor  in  competitiveness  while,  conversely,  lack  of  political  intervention
makes for increased costs.

Systematic  information  on  costs  of  accidents  at  work  is  not  available  from
administrative  statistical  data  sources  or  regular  surveys  on  health  and  safety  at
work. In this context, a study was carried out to develop a pilot model to estimate the
costs of accidents at work. The model was developed in order to enable companies,
authorities  and  all  those  involved  in  prevention  of  accidents  at  work  at  society  or
company  level  to get  a quantitative  overview  of  the  total  costs  of  accidents  at  work
and  document  the  potential  benefits  of  their  efficient  prevention.  It  will  help  to
demonstrate  that  "good  safety  and  health  is  good  business"  as  prevention  of  work
related injuries not only reduces costs, but also contributes to improve a company’s
performance.

To  reach  this  objective,  the  first  step  of  the  project  consisted  of  collecting  and
analysing    existing  information  on  costs  of  accidents  at  work  and  on  factors  that
influence these costs. A literature search and various consultations were carried out
and a series of studies were identified (see bibliographic references and summaries
of  studies  in  annex  2).  Nevertheless,  only  very  few  comprehensive  and  systematic
analyses  were  identified.  The  search  identified  three  existing  models  :  the  TYTA
model of the Finnish Ministry of social affairs and health, the British Telecom’s Health
and  Safety  Accident  Cost  Model  and  the  HSE  model  (see  detailed  description  of
these models in annex 3).

In  a  second  step,  a  questionnaire  study  was  planned  based  on  the  information
acquired  in  step  one.  The  study  was  performed  among  companies  and  among
victims of accidents at work to collect quantitative information on the various types of
costs of different  accidents  at  work.  In  a third  step, the  parameters  of  a  pilot model
were established according to the data of step two. In a fourth step, the model was

4 Communication from the Commission COM(2002) 118 final of 11.03.2002
5 Council Resolution 2002/C 161/01

- Page 4- 

                                                
(cid:1)

applied on the statistical information of the ESAW database to estimate the costs of
accidents at work in the 15 Member States of the EU before accesssion. Finally, the
uncertainties,  compromises  and  problems  of  the  model  were  listed  to  facilitate
improvements in future efforts.

The study was performed by ArianeII Groupe Transiciel and was coordinated by unit
D-6 “Health and food safety” of Eurostat.

- Page 5- 

(cid:1)

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1  OVERVIEW

The data used to estimate the costs of accidents at work were the following :

1.  European  Statistics  on  Accidents  at  Work  (ESAW)  database  for  the
reference  year  2000,  covering  the  15  Member  States  of  the  EU  before
accesssion  for  fatal  accidents  at  work  and  non-fatal  accidents  at  work  with
more  than  3  days  lost. These  data  were  complemented  with  the  data  of  the
1999 Labour Force Survey ad hoc module as regards accidents at work with
less than 4 days lost. The data included:
-  5 237 fatal accidents at work
-  4 815 616 non-fatal accidents at work with more than 3 days lost;

of  which  141  431  represented  more  than  6  months’  or  permanent
incapacity to work

-  2 752 237 non-fatal accidents with less than 4 days lost

These  data  and  their  methodology  of  collection  are  described  in  the  ESAW
methodology  6  and  in  the  Panorama  “Work  and  Health  in  the  EU:  A  statistical
portrait”7.

2.  Questionnaire  survey  to  assess  the  various  direct  and  indirect  costs  of
accidents  at  work  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  company  and  the  victim
(performed in 2003).

-  100 questionnaires  were  sent  to  companies  in  Italy  and  Luxembourg

and 200 in Portugal;

-  100  questionnaires  were  sent  to  victims  of  accidents  at  work  in  Italy

- 

- 

and 200 in Portugal;
for  the  companies  56  (response  rate  56%)  replies  were  received  in
Italy, 46 (46%) in Luxembourg and 187 (94%) in Portugal;
for the victims 41 (41%) replies were received in Italy and 176 (87%)
in Portugal.

The  survey  among  companies  is  further  described  in  the  following  chapters.  The
survey among victims is described in annexes 9, 10.

3.  New Cronos reference database was used to estimate the labour costs by
economic activity and country. The detailed extraction path was the following:

theme : Theme3 – Population and Social Conditions

- 
-  domain : lacosts – Labour costs
-  collect : y2000 – survey 2000
-  group : nat00 – National data
- 

table 
remuneration

:  n00cost  –  Labour  cost,  wages  and  salaries,  direct

6 European Commission, European statistics on accidents at work (ESAW) Methodology – 2001 Edition.
ISBN 92-894-3228-4.
7 European Commission, “ Work and health in the EU, A statistical portrait”. Eurostat Panorama series, , 2003
Edition, ISBN 92-894-7006-2

- Page 6- 

                                                
(cid:1)

2.2  THE QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

The  first  step  of  the  project  consisted  of  collecting  existing  information  on  costs  of
accidents at work and on factors  that  influence these  costs.  A  literature  search  and
various  consultations  were  carried  out  and  a  series  of  studies  were  identified,
including  three  preliminary  models  for  calculating  costs  of  accidents  at  work  at
company  level.  Bibliographic  references  and  summaries  of  studies  are  given  in
annex 2. More detailed descriptions are given for three existing models (annnex 3).

Based on the above mentioned information, draft questionnaires were  developed  to
collect quantitative information on the various types of costs of different accidents at
work  for  companies  and  for  victims.  The  members  of  the  following  expert  groups
were  asked  to  indicate  national  experts  that  could  be  interviewed  for  the  draft
questionnaire and the approach:

-  DG  Employment  and  Social  Affairs,  Advisory  Committee  on  Safety,

Hygiene and Health Protection at Work ;

-  Eurostat,  Task  Force  of  European  Statistics  on  Accidents  at  Work

(ESAW).

The list of persons and institutions/companies providing information or interviewed  is
given in annex 1.

2.2.1   Questionnaire for companies

The final questionnaire for the companies (annex 4) included 32 questions covering
the following topics:

- contact information;
- characteristics of the company;
- characteristics of the chosen accident at work;
- characteristics of the victim of the accident and injury;
- estimates concerning various specific costs of the chose accident at work;
-  general  information  concerning  the  costs  of  accidents  at  work  in  the

company.

The types of costs specifically asked in the questionnaire were the following:

-  Material damage (i.e. products and raw materials destroyed at the time of

the accident);

-  Damage  of the  structures (i.e. machines,  equipment,  buildings,  vehicles

destroyed at the time of the accident);

-  Repair costs;
-  Rental costs of temporary equipment, machines, buildings or vehicles;
-  Production losses due to a production stop or slow down;
-  Replacement of persons: - Extra salary costs;

- Page 7- 

(cid:1)

-  Replacement  of  persons:  -  Costs  of  training  and  adaptation  of  a  new

worker;

-  Loss of customers or orders;
-  Court expenses;
-  Administrative  costs  (expenses  to  facilitate  the  return  to  work,  costs
reporting  the  accident,  costs  of  reorganising  the  production  after  the
accident);

-  Loss in terms of image;
-  Other costs.

The questionnaires for victims is presented in annex 5.

2.2.2  Execution of the questionnaire survey

The  members  of  the  ESAW Task  Force  group  were  asked  to  consider  whether  the
survey could be carried out in their country. Finally three countries participated in the
company survey (Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal). The companies were selected in
such a way that they recently experienced an accident at work. They were asked to
provide  the  cost  information for  the most  recent  accident  at  work  or  the  accident  at
work that they knew best in their company.
The  questionnaires  were  prepared  in  English  and  French  by  ArianeII.  The  national
translations were prepared by the institutions co-ordinating the national surveys:

INAIL, Italy (questionnaire in Italian)
Association  des  assurances  contre  les  accidents,  Luxembourg  (only  the
original French questionnaire was used)
Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidarieda de Social, Portugal (questionnaire in
Portuguese)

The surveys were performed as postal surveys in Italy and Luxembourg and as face-
to-face  interviews  in  Portugal.  For  the  companies  56  (response  rate  56%)  replies
were received in Italy, 45 (45%) in Luxembourg and 188 (94%) in Portugal.

2.3  ESTIMATION OF COSTS

Overall, the costs of accidents at work in EU15 were calculated by using the following
steps:

•  Estimation  of  immediate  costs  of  accidents  at  work  (less  than  1  year  of  lost

working time)

1.  Based on the above company questionnaire survey information, an estimation
was made for the ratio  between  all  other  costs  of accidents  at  work  and the
costs directly related to lost working time.

2.  Based  on  the  ESAW  database  (number  of  accidents  and  number  of  days
lost), the costs directly related to lost working time were estimated (lost time x
unit cost of working time)

- Page 8- 

(cid:1)

3.  The  costs  of  all  other  costs  were  estimated  by  multiplying  the  lost  working

time costs of step 2 by the ration of step 1.

•  Estimation of the long-term costs (more than 1 year of lost working time).

4.  The  costs  of  lost  working  time  due  to  permanent  incapacity  were  estimated
based  on  the  information  on  numbers  of  accidents  at  work  with  permanent
incapacity and age of the victim from the ESAW database (lost time until the
age of 65 x unit cost of working time).

5.  The costs of lost working time due to fatal accidents at work were estimated
based  on  the  information  on  numbers  of  fatal  accidents  at  work  and  age  of
the victim from the ESAW database (lost time until the age of 65 x unit cost of
working time).

The mathematical format of this theoretical model is presented in annex 6.

The following paragraphs describe  the details of each of the above steps. As it was
not  possible  to  completely  ensure  that  the  costs  specified  by  the  victims  do  not
overlap  with  the  costs  specified  by  the  companies,  the  victim  part  of  the  study  is
presented  separately  and  these  costs  are  not  added  to  the  costs  specified  by  the
companies. The aim of the victim part of the estimation is therefore only to describe
the costs from the point of view of the victim (see annex 9).

2.3.1  Estimation of costs of accidents at work for companies

The aim of this part is to present the final model used to evaluate the labour costs
and others costs from the point of view of companies.

2.3.1.1  Estimation  of  the  relation  between  costs  due  to  lost  working  time
and all the other costs of accidents at work to companies

The  summary  distribution  of  the  costs  by  type  of  cost  from  the  company
questionnaires is presented in annex 7. As the number of questionnaires was limited,
all  the  different types  of  costs  were  combined for  the  statistical  analysis. Thereafter
the accidents described in the company questionnaires were grouped into 5 groups
according to lost working time.

For each group the following ratios were calculated:

1.  The  proportion  of  accidents  for  which  the  companies  reported  costs  other

than those related directly to lost working time.

2.  The ratio between all these other costs and the costs related to lost working
time for those accidents for which there were costs other than those related to
lost  working  time.  The  costs  of  lost  working  time  were  estimated  by
multiplying the number of days lost by the unit cost of one day lost (see point
2.3.1.2  for details).

At least some costs other than those due to lost working time were reported in 46%
of accidents and the ratio of these  costs  in relation to the  costs  due to  lost  working
time was the  highest  (586%)  in  accidents  with  less than  3  days  lost  and the  lowest
(39%) in accidents with at least 3 months lost. The following proportions/ratios were
obtained:

- Page 9- 

Table 1. The number and proportion of accidents reported to have also costs other

than those related to lost working time.

(cid:1)

Number of
days lost

All accidents
in the
questionnaires

Accidents with other
costs than those due
lost to working time

N (%)
(1)
45 (16%)
70 (25%)
72 (26%)
49 (18%)

N (%)
(2)
8 (6%)
38 (30%)
47 (36%)
20 (15%)

<= 3 days
 4 - 13 days
14 days – <=1 month
 >1 month – <=3
months
 >3 months – >=6
months and
permanent incapacity
278 (100%)
 All*
*Note: Period is missing in 8 cases and 3 fatal accidents where not included in the total

129 (100%)

16 (12%)

42 (15%)

Proportion of
accidents with
other costs
(Ratio 1)

(2)/(1)*100

17.78%
54.29%
65.28%
40.82%

38.09%

46.40%

Table 2. The ratio between all other costs and the costs due to lost working time.

Number of
days lost

Total
other costs

Total costs due to lost
working time
(only those accidents for
which other costs  >0)

< 3 days
 4 - 13 days
14 days – <=1 month
 >1 – <=3 months
 >3  –  <=6  months  and
permanent incapacity

(1)

3141
39635
101649
30518
67252

(2)

540
19511
63900
67218
1770375

Ratio between other
costs and costs
due to lost working
time
(Ratio 2)
[(1)/(2)]*100

582%
203%
159%
45%
39%

The  costs  other  than  those  directly  related  to  days  lost  were  then  estimated  by
multiplying  the  costs  due  to  the  days  lost  by  these  two  ratios  (see  section  2.3.1.3).
The  above  ratios  specific  to  each  category  of  days  lost  were  applied  to  all  NACE
categories and all countries.

2.3.1.2  Estimation of costs directly due to lost working time

The  costs  due  to  lost  working  time  were  estimated  by  multiplying  the  days  lost  in
each  accident  of  the  ESAW  database  by  the  unit  daily  labour  cost.  Accidents  with
missing  information  for  days  lost  were  redistributed  according  to  the  distribution  of
the accidents with known number of days lost of the same country. For countries with
no  information  on  days  lost  (DE,  IE  NL,  PT,  FI  and  UK)  the  distribution  of  the
countries  with  known  values  was  applied  to  the  total  number  of  accidents  of  each
country.  Accidents  with  less  than  4  days  lost  are  not  included  in  the  ESAW  data

- Page 10- 

collection.  Their  number  was  estimated  based  on  the  1999  LFS  ad  hoc  module8.
According to that survey, such accidents account for 36.37% of all accidents at work.
This  fraction  was  applied  to  all  countries  and  all  NACE  sections.  The  numbers  of
accidents at work by NACE division and number of days lost are given in table 3.

(cid:1)

Table 3. Number of accidents at work by category of days lost and by NACE, EU15,

2000.

Nace

(36.37%)

(11.41%)

(12.84%)

(8.00%)

(7.69%)

(14.72%)

(4.37%)

(4.61%)

(63.63%)

(100.00%)

0 - 3 d

4d - 6d

7d - 13d

14d - 20d

21d - 1m 1m - 3m

3m - 6m

6m - and 
Perm. Inc.

  Total 
(>3d)

 Total 
(>0d)

-: Missing                            

A: Agriculture,hunting and forestry   

B: Fishing                            

C: Mining and quarrying               

D: Manufacturing                      

E: Electricity, gas and water supply  

F: Construction                       

G: Wholesale and retail trade, repair...

H: Hotels and restaurants             

I: Transport, storage and communication

J: Financial intermediation           

K: Real estate, renting and business  

L: Public administration and defence  

M: Education                          

N: Health and social work             

O: Other community, social and personal

P: Private households with employed pers

Q: Other services                     

18106

195156

4630

19549

759577

9788

483469

309896

122041

256922

15436

178923

96303

42173

130441

105756

3884

489

6258

35910

534

5125

9629

89236

1699

9865

4776

60350

1279

4715

3315

45373

1035

3301

5087

83399

3093

9287

248494

425539

208395

131955

247044

2914

128216

92125

32783

69005

5138

52645

30215

15415

47493

29589

733

143

4933

257330

174484

73547

121659

7176

94158

47146

18109

55629

52550

1613

229

2629

128943

84928

34691

71190

3958

47600

26101

11712

36289

29548

1020

127

1784

86779

55560

21541

51536

2736

33213

17781

7016

22675

21104

775

102

3730

186963

105188

40955

102550

6043

64389

38059

16769

49936

40400

1688

166

752

14053

315

1080

33880

616

29643

15788

5972

18329

977

11470

5370

2455

8601

6503

498

42

1860

13107

145

829

31677

341429

8101

34201

49782

536584

12732

53750

33588

1328895

2088472

519

27964

14097

4023

15222

976

9554

3811

2306

7586

5328

467

45

17125

845838

542170

213512

449490

27005

313030

168483

73782

228208

185022

6795

855

26913

1329307

852066

335553

706411

42441

491953

264786

115955

358649

290778

10679

1344

All                                   

1444531
Note: d: days, m: month, perm. Inc.: Permanent Incapacity

2752537

802733

758250

507580

1004746

156345

141431

4815616

7568153

The annual labour costs were retrieved from the New Cronos database. The data for
companies  with  50-249  employees  were  used.  The  indicator  used  was  the  total
labour cost.The costs were available by Member State and by NACE 1-digit category
for the year 2000. If information was missing for a NACE category in a given country,
the unit labour costs was estimated by the average of that country (NACE sectors C
to  K)  and  the  EU15  ratio  between  the  NACE  sector  in  question  and  the  EU15
average  (NACE  C  to  K).  For  Finland  and  Belgium,  the  unit  labour  cost  information
was  not  available  and  the  EU15  values  were  used.  As  the  days  lost  in    the  ESAW
database  are  calculated  as  calendar  days  (not  working  days),  the  unit  daily  labour
cost  was  calculated  by  dividing  the  annual  labour  cost  by  the  number  of  calendar
days  in  2000  (366  days).  Labour  costs  include  compensation  of  employees,  with
wages  and  salaries  in  cash  and  in  kind,  employers'  social  contributions,  vocational
training  costs,  other  expenditures  and  taxes  relating  to  employment  regarded  as
labour costs less any subsidies received. The annual labour costs used are given in
table 4.

The total costs due to lost working time were calculated by multiplying the days lost
of  each  accident  in  table  3  by  the  unit  daily  labour  cost  based  on  table  4.  In  the
calculations, the centre of class was used as the number of days lost for each of the
days lost categories of table 3 (9 months was used for the accidents with more than 6
months lost).

8 European Commission, European Social Statistics – Accidents at work and work related health problems
ISBN 92-894-3601-8

- Page 11- 

                                                
(cid:1)

Table 4.

NACE
A: Agriculture,hunting and forestry   

B: Fishing                            

C: Mining and quarrying               

D: Manufacturing                      

E: Electricity, gas and water supply  

F: Construction                       

G: Wholesale and retail trade, repair...

H: Hotels and restaurants             

I: Transport, storage and communication

J: Financial intermediation           

K: Real estate, renting and business  

L: Public administration and defence  

M: Education                          

N: Health and social work             

O: Other community, social and personal

P: Private households with employed pers
C to K

Annual  labour  costs  by  Member  State  and  economic  activity  in  2000.
Eurostat, New Cronos database.
AT
Value

IE
Value

FR
Value

ES
Value

NL
Value

DE
Value

IT
Value

GR
Value

PT
Value

DK
Value

LU
Value

BE
Value

EU15

Value

%

SE
Value

UK
Value

FI
Value

36205

36205

41199

36205

33937

46130

36205

35601

24814

35300

59108

43970

36205

30546

25800

35552

36205

(113.79%)

(100.00%)

(93.74%)

(127.41%)

(98.33%)

(68.54%)

(97.50%)

(163.26%)

(121.45%)

(100.00%)

(84.37%)

(71.26%)
(98.20%)

(100)

40333

40333

45897

39579

37806

38056

39719

23898

35235

58976

48116

48983

40333

34029

28742

40333

40333

37718

37718
43317

37897

45337

36256

36374

24005

25851

51535

61578

45808

37718

31823

26879

37718

37718

45660

45660
47339

42488

48369

44892

47268

33436

45268

55029

49740

55453

45660

38523

32538

45660

45660

23788

23788
27920

25068

39897

20241

24399

18482

24688

39923

22253

28890

23578

19946

22598

23788

23788

37378

37378
39430

32681

45281

36939

33798

32255

25618

57550

47512

45394

37378

31535

26636

37378

37378

18299

18299
23262

16873

23600

15240

19349

23073

16427

37364

21937

22223

18299

15439

13040

18299

18299

32009

32009
35770

30944

47566

36063

30984

20975

28882

55457

38415

38874

32009

27006

22810

32009

32009

31208

31208
39564

29816

39144

31712

32574

24714

32740

53481

33891

37902

31208

26330

22240

31208

31208

41032

41032

46692

35084

38461

30047

29650

23785

32351

71045

42224

49832

41032

34618

29240

41032

41032

38883

38883
60023

39119

54103

38464

37430

23100

37678

54949

39750

47222

38883

32805

27709

38883

36205

36205

36205

36205

33937

46130

36205

35601

24814

35300

59108

43970

36205

30546

25800

36205

38883

36205

13643

13643
11280

11421

14718

13194

17254

12076

16554

39483

16478

16569

13643

11511

9722

13643

13643

49726

49726

56585

45750

46610

49726
49797

36674

45021

81627

56916

60390

49726

41953

35435

49726

49726

45842

45842
57590

41762

72408

47430

44072

28756

44136

83515

51841

55674

37451

27641

42103

45842

45842

36205

36205

41199

36205

33937

46130

36205

35601

24814

35300

59108

43970

36205

30546

25800

36205

36205

* for NACE A, B and G, the average of NACE c to k was used. The percentages in the EU15 column
refer to the ratio between the labour cost of the NACE category and the labour cost of total of NACE C
to K:

2.3.1.3    Estimation of costs other than those due to lost working time

The proportion of accidents having other types of costs and the ratios “all other costs
/  costs  of  lost  working  time”  obtained  in  step  1  were  applied  to  the  costs  of  lost
working time estimated in step 2. The same proportions and ratios were applied to all
countries  and  all  economic  activities  (NACE).  The  specific  proportion  and  ratio  of
each  accident  type  category  (by  number  of  days  lost)  was  applied  to  the  relevant
category  obtained  in  step  2    tables  1  and  2.  For  example,  for  each  country  and
economic activity, 54% of all accidents with 4 to 13 days lost have  also  costs  other
than those due to lost working time and for these accidents the “other costs” are 2.03
times the costs due to lost working time.

2.3.1.4  Costs of accidents leading to permanent incapacity

The above estimations of costs due to lost working time and other costs of accidents
at work included only temporary accidents at work and the first year of lost  working
time  of  permanent  accidents  at  work  (the  centre  of  class  duration  of  9  months  was
applied to the category “more than 6 months lost or permanent incapacity”).

For  accidents  at  work  with  permanent  incapacity  only  the  costs  due  to  lost  working
time were estimated.
To  estimate  the  long-term  costs  of  accidents  at  work  leading  to  permanent
incapacity, the number of years of lost working time was estimated according to the
age  of  the  victim  and  by  assuming  a  retirement  age  of  65  years.  The  costs  of  lost
working  time  were  estimated  by  multiplying  the  NACE  and  country  specific  annual
labour costs by the number of years lost of each accident.

The ESAW database includes information on permanent accidents at work reported
by  the  national  authorities  as    “more  than  6  months  lost  or  permanent  incapacity”.
The  definition  of  permanent  incapacity  varies  between  the  national  systems,  it
includes cases with a 100% permanent incapacity to work as well as cases with only
a  mild  but  permanent  incapacity  due  to  an  accident  at  work.  In  most  systems  the
lowest  percentage  of  incapacity  eligible  for  permanent  recognition  is  around  10%.

- Page 12- 

(cid:1)

Based on the 1999 LFS ad hoc module, 0.2% of victims of all accidents at work (with
or without days lost) estimate that they can never return to work.

For the  estimation  of  the  number  of  accidents  at  work  with  permanent  incapacity  in
2000 the following assumptions were made:

-  0.2%  of  all  accidents  at  work  in  each  NACE  category  and  in  each

- 

country result to a 100% incapacity to work.
if the number of cases of accidents with  “more than 6 months lost or
permanent incapacity” in the ESAW database 2000 for a given country
is  higher  than  the  above  number,  the  remaining  accidents  are
estimated to represent an average permanent incapacity of 15% only
(instead of 100%).

Thereafter  the  costs  of  lost  labour  because  of  accidents  at  work  with  permanent
incapacity  were  calculated  by  multiplying  the  lost  years  in  each  case  by  the  annual
labour cost specific to that accident victim (NACE and country specific). Taking  into
account the above estimations it was considered that the cost is either 100% or 15%
of  the  lost  labour  cost  according  to  the  group  into  which  the  accident  in  question
belonged to.

In the above calculations the costs of lost working years were calculated using only
labour cost data of the year 2000. No future increases in labour costs were taken into
account, and no discounting effect was included.  Concerning  the  age  of  the  victims
for  permanent  incapacity  to  work,  the  centre  of  class  was  used  to  estimate  the
number of years lost to estimate the labour cost of each category of age.

2.3.1.5  Costs of fatal accidents at work

For  fatal  accidents  at  work  only  the  costs  due  to  lost  working  time  were  estimated.
The number of years of lost working time was estimated according to the age of the
victim and by assuming a retirement age of 65 years. The costs of lost working time
were estimated by multiplying the NACE and country specific annual labour costs by
the  number  of  years  lost  of  each  fatal  accident  similarily  as  for  accidents  with
permanent incapacity to work in point 2.3.1.4.

3. RESULTS

This  chapter  presents  the  main  results  obtained  by  applying  the  methodology
explained above for the ESAW 2000 database. The results are presented at the level
of EU15. More detailed results are given in annex 8.
It  should  be  underlined  that  the  results  obtained  are  partly  based  on  estimates
calculated from a small number of survey responses. These figures should preferably
be  validated  by  a  new  survey  with  more  cases  of  accidents  to  confirm  the  ratios
calculated in the methodology and used to make estimates.

The results from the point of view of the victims of accidents at work are presented in
annexes 10.

- Page 13- 

(cid:1)

The summary of the results is presented in table 5. Accidents at work were estimated
to have caused costs of 55 billion euros in EU15 in 2000. Most of these costs (88%)
were due to lost working time (labour cost). However, one must bear in mind that for
accidents  with  permanent  incapacity  to  work  and  fatal  accidents  at  work,  the
questionnaire  information  did  not  allow  to  estimate  costs  other  than  those  resulting
from  lost  working  time.  From  all  economic  activities,  most  costs  were  caused  in
manufacturing  and  construction,  which  also  accounted  for  the  largest  number  of
accidents at work.

Table  5:  Number  of  accidents  at  work,  costs  due  to  lost  working  time  (labour  cost)
and  other  costs  in  2000.  EU15  level  results  by  economic  activity  and  severity  of
accident. (in 1000 euros)

Nace

Nace

Temporary (< 
1 year)

Permanent 
100%

Permanent 
15%

Fatal

Total 

Temporary (< 
1 year)

Permanent 
100%

Permanent 
15%

Fatal

Total 

g
n
i
s
s
i
M

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs
Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs
Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs
Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs
Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs
Total costs

 49 782

 108 327

 42 390

 150 717

 536 584

1 346 629

 526 010

1 872 639

 12 732

 23 162

 8 543

 31 706

 53 750

 118 844

 47 612

 166 456

2 088 472

3 875 844

1 751 342

5 627 186

 26 913

 62 179

 26 579
 88 758

1 329 307

2 830 676

1 131 773

3 962 449

 852 066

1 678 946

 739 211

2 418 157

 335 553

 499 385

 228 762

 728 146

 706 411

1 685 901

 669 092

2 354 994

  100

 82 753

 82 753

 1 073

 1 721

 224 192

 224 192

 11 658

 727 309

1 114 719

  88

 57 396

 57 396

  651

 387 436

 727 309

1 114 719

 387 436

  25

 19 818

 19 818

  107

 113 303

 113 303

 4 177

  106

 12 086

 12 086

  712

 104 060

 104 060

 30 077

  49

 27 374

 27 374

  87

 71 089

 71 089

  976

 472 667

 42 390

 515 057

3 576 093

 526 010

4 102 103

 82 441

 8 543

 90 984

 407 296

 47 612

 454 909

3 667 145

3 865 855

 750 504

12 159 347

3 667 145

3 865 855

 750 504

13 910 689

1 751 342

  53

 50 526

 50 526

 2 659

  466

 63 125

 63 125

 24 797

  42

 36 599

 36 599

 1 279

2 400 200

3 243 898

 971 666

 212 430

 26 579
 239 009

9 446 439

1 131 773

2 400 200

3 243 898

 971 666

10 578 213

 1 704

 12 651

  461

1 643 581

1 715 082

 360 331

1 643 581

1 715 082

 360 331

  671

 481 276

 481 276

 1 413

 3 571

 387 334

 387 334

 13 658

1 023 198

1 404 415

  73

 43 932

 43 932

  885

 20 910

1 023 198

1 404 415

 20 910

5 397 940

 739 211

6 137 150

1 411 926

 228 762

1 640 688

4 134 424

 669 092

4 803 517

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

Number of accidents
Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

 42 441

 142 921

 57 656

 200 577

 491 953

  85

  877

 105 595

 162 287

 105 595

  984

 162 287

 8 635

  23

 23 868

 23 868

  248

 434 671

 57 656

 492 327

1 133 377

1 144 136

1 587 991

 246 621

4 112 125

 479 001

 479 001

1 612 378

1 144 136

1 587 991

 246 621

4 591 126

 264 786

 556 701

 239 447

 796 149

 115 955

 247 469

 98 889

 346 358

 358 649

 703 914

 272 990

 976 905

 290 778

 656 119

 274 143

 930 261

 10 679

 34 905

 11 055

 45 960

 1 344

 3 505

 1 303

 4 807

  530

 534 610

 534 610

  232

 188 233

 188 233

  717

 502 673

 502 673

  582

 397 179

 397 179

  22

 14 761

 14 761

  3

 2 692

 2 692

 15 136

 3 361

 492 989

 492 989

 2 058

 247 706

 247 706

 6 827

 742 241

 742 241

 4 763

 477 149

 477 149

  421

 41 419

 41 419

  41

 6 322

 6 322

 126 399

  116

 98 677

 98 677

  26

 21 002

 21 002

  77

1 682 978

 239 447

1 922 425

 704 410

 98 889

 803 299

 57 846

2 006 675

 57 846

  147

 90 060

 272 990

2 279 665

1 620 506

 274 143

 90 060

1 894 649

  5

 1 939

 1 939

  4

 4 236

 4 236

 5 237

 93 024

 11 055

 104 079

 16 754

 1 303

 18 057

TOTAL Number of accidents

7 568 153

Labour costs total

15 708 804

13 098 989

15 892 868

3 835 173

48 535 835

Other costs

Total costs

6 605 798

6 605 798

22 314 602

13 098 989

15 892 868

3 835 173

55 141 633

3.1  ACCIDENTS  RESULTING  IN  TEMPORARY  INCAPACITY

TO WORK

Table  6  shows  the  number  of  accidents  and  the  costs  for  the  about  7.5  million
accidents  with  temporary  incapacity  to  work  (and  the  first  year  of  accidents  with
permanent incapacity to work). Costs other than those directly related to lost working
time  (labour  cost)  accounted  for  70%  of  the  total  costs  of  22  billion  euros  of  these
accidents. According to the questionnaire information, from 18% (accidents with less
than  4  days  lost)  to  65%  (accidents  with  14  to  30  days  lost)  of  accidents  caused
costs  other  than  labour  cost.  Among  accidents  with  such  other  costs,  these  costs
were  6  times  higher  than  the  labour  costs  among  accidents  with  less  than  4  days
lost, while they corresponded only to about 40% of the labour costs among accidents
with  more  than  6  months  lost.  The  detailed  distribution  of  costs  of  accidents  with
temporary incapacity is given in tables 20 and 21 of annex 8.

- Page 14- 

(cid:1)

Table 6: Number of accidents, costs due to lost working time (labour cost) and other
costs of accidents at work resulting in temporary incapacity to work. EU15 level
results by duration of incapacity to work(in 1000 euros)

% of acc. With other costs (Ratio1)

17.78%

54.29%

54.29%

65.28%

65.28%

Other costs/labour costs (Ratio2)

581.59% 203.15% 203.15%

159.07%

159.07%

40.82%

45.40%

38.09%

39.47%

0-3d

4d - 6d 

7d - 13d 

14d - 20d

21d - 1m 

1m - 3m

3m - 6m

6m - and  
perm. inc.*

38.09%

39.47%

Total

Number of accidents

Labour costs total

Other costs

Total costs

2 752 537

 802 733

1 444 531

 758 250

 507 580

1 004 746

 156 345

 141 431

7 568 153

 373 663

 371 064

1 290 104

1 219 125

1 189 743

5 497 209

2 020 632

3 747 264

15 708 804

 386 392

 409 247

1 422 858

1 265 950

1 235 440

1 018 758

 303 784

 563 368

6 605 798

 760 055

 780 310

2 712 962

2 485 075

2 425 183

6 515 967

2 324 416

4 310 633

22 314 602

* includes the first year for cases with permanent incapacity to work.

3.2  ACCIDENTS  RESULTING  IN  PERMANENT  INCAPACITY

TO WORK

The  costs  of  lost  working  time  (labour  cost)  due  to  accidents  at  work  resulting  in
permanent incapacity to work were estimated assuming a retirement age of 65 years.
Roughly  141  000  of  such  accidents  at  work  were  estimated  to  result  in  costs  of  29
billion  euros  (table  7).  It  must  be  underlined  that  the  data  concerning  the  level  of
permanent  incapacity  were  not  accurate  enough  for  exact  estimates.  Therefore  the
accidents were assumed to result either to total incapacity to work or to a rather mild
incapacity to work, i.e. 15% (see methodology). On the other hand it was not possible
to estimate costs other than labour costs for these accidents. The number accidents
at  work  with  permanent  incapacity  increases  considerably  with  age,  Nevertheless,
the total number of working years lost and therefore also the highest costs were due
to  accidents  among  those  aged  25-34  years  and  those  aged  35-44  years.  The
detailed  distribution  of  costs  due  to  accidents  at  work  with  permanent  incapacity  to
work is given in tables 22 and 23 of Annex 8.

Table 7: Number and costs of accidents at work resulting in permanent incapacity to
work by age.  EU15 in 2000 (in 1000 euros)

0-14

15-17

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Total

Center of class

Number of year lost

(51)

Number of accidents (100% inc. to work)

14

  7

16

21.5

29

39

49

59

65

(49)

(44)

(36)

(26)

(16)

(6)

(0)

  81

 1 172

 3 358

 4 076

 4 180

 2 037

  225

 15 136

Number of accidents (15% inc. to work)

  7

  708

 9 320

 27 795

 33 869

 35 682

 16 846

 2 172

 126 399

Costs (1000 euros)

 14 371

 143 376 1 875 166 4 386 301 3 829 507 2 405 306

 444 962

13 098 989

Costs (1000 euros)

 1 711

 182 984 2 193 345 5 306 878 4 653 472 3 018 779

 535 698

Total costs (1000 euros)

 16 082

 326 360 4 068 512 9 693 179 8 482 979 5 424 085

 980 660

15 892 868

28 991 857

3.3  FATAL ACCIDENTS AT WORK

The  costs  of  lost  working  time  (labour  cost)  due  to  fatal  accidents  at  work  were
estimated assuming a retirement age of 65 years. The 5237 fatal accidents at work
were estimated  to  result  in  a  cost  of 3.8  billion  euros  (table  6). The  number  of fatal
accidents  at  work  increases  importantly  with  age,  but  the  total  number  of  working
years  lost  and  therefore  also  the  highest  costs  were  due  to  fatal  accidents  at  work
among those aged 25-34 years and those aged 35-44 years. The detailed distribution
of costs due to fatal accidents at work is given in tables 24 and 25 of Annex 8.

- Page 15- 

  
  
  
(cid:1)

Table 8: Number of accidents, years lost and costs of fatal accidents at work by age.
EU15 in 2000, (in 1000 euros)

Class of age of Victims

0-14

15-17

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Center of class

Number of year lost

N. of accidents

Number of years lost

14

51.00

  16

  826

16

49.00

  26

21.5

43.50

  458

29

36.00

 1 078

39

26.00

 1 321

49

16.00

 1 339

 1 291

 19 911

 38 796

 34 341

 21 427

59

6.00

  821

 4 928

65

0.00

  178

Labour costs (1000 euros)

 24 579

 43 141

 624 625 1 199 404 1 091 657

 692 296

 159 471

Total age 
known

 5 237

 121 520

3 835 173

- Page 16- 

  
  
(cid:1)

4. DISCUSSION

Systematic  information  on  costs  of  accidents  at  work  is  not  available  from
administrative  statistical  data  sources  or  regular  surveys  on  health  and  safety  at
work. This project produced a preliminary model to estimate these costs at EU level
by a number of  variables. The  model  was  based  on cost  data from  a questionnaire
survey and administrative statistical data on numbers and characteristics of accidents
at  work  and  on  labour  costs.  The  initial  literature  study  performed  in  this  prospect
revealed  a  lack  of  comprehensive  studies  in  this  domain.  Despite  the  preliminary
nature  of  the  model  and  the  estimates,  the  results  are  interesting  by  giving  a  cost
perspective  to  safety  at  work  matters.  Nevertheless  it  is  only  fair  to  critically  review
some of the limitations of the study.

•  The empirical data from the questionnaire survey was based on a very small
sample  size.  Therefore  it  is  obvious  that  even  if  no  confidence  limits  are
given,  the  statistical  precision  of  the  results  is  not  ideal.  The  number  of
individual  responses  concerning  a  certain  type  of  costs  or  a  certain  type  of
accident was very low. Therefore most of the coefficients of the model could
not be calculated separately for different costs, for different types of accidents
or  for  different  types  of  companies  or  sectors  of  economic  activities.  It  is
obvious that for example costs due to lost material could be quite different for
different types of accidents.

•  The  questionnaire  survey  was  performed  only  in  a  few  Member  States  and
the results had to be extrapolated to the other Member States. An adjustment
could be made for differences in labour costs between the countries, but quite
obviously  there  are  other  differences  which  should  have  been  taken  into
account.

• 

It  proved  difficult  both for the  companies  and  the  victims  to  exactly  estimate
the various costs of accidents  at  work. This  task  was further complicated  by
the fact that many of the cost are at least partly reimbursed by an insurance.
For  some  types  of  costs  the  exact  amount  could  still  be  retrieved  from
documents  related  to  the  insurance,  while  for  some  costs  neither  the
company nor the victim was in a position to provide an accurate estimate. A
typical example of this problem is related to one major element of total costs,
i.e. the costs of health care and rehabilitation. It is very difficult to assess the
real health care costs of accidents at work in a reliable way. A real cost of a
hospital  day,  an  emergency  visit  or  a  rehabilitation  course  is  usually  much
higher  than  what  is  actually  paid  between  any  of  the  players,  as  part  of  the
cost remain to be paid by the society maintaining the health care system. In
this  respect  there  are  obvious  differences  between  the  systems  of  the
Member States.

•  The statistical data on accidents at work resulting in permanent incapacity to
work was not detailed enough to accurately estimate the theoretical costs of
lost  working  time  for  these  cases  and  assumptions  had  to  be  made.  These
concerned the permanent nature of incapacity to work which was classified as
“more than 6 months or permanent” and the distribution of level of permanent
incapacity (100% or less, see methodology). As the costs  due  to  permanent
incapacity constitute an important proportion of the total costs of accidents at

- Page 17- 

(cid:1)

work, the accuracy and level of detail of this statistical information should be
improved.

• 

In  the  estimates  the  labour  costs  were  calculated  based  on  the  labour  cost
and the lost working time. This is a theoretical approach. There are important
differences between the Member States on how the costs of lost working time
are actually dealt with between the society, the employer, the victim and the
private/public  insurance  handling  the  reimbursements.  Depending  on  the
insurance system, the validity of the theoretical approach used may also vary
according to whether the accident resulted in a short or long incapacity or full
or  partial  permanent  incapacity  or  death.  In  any  case  all  these  costs  are
probably  not  directly  evident for  the  employer  because  of  the  insurance  and
the overall distribution of these costs between the society, the employer, the
insurance for accidents at work and the general social security system.

•  Not  all  effects  of  accidents  at  work  can  be  measured  in  costs.  The  victims
were  asked  to  estimate  in  financial  terms  also  various  effects  related  to
quality  of  life.  This  proved  too  difficult  and  such  effects  are  not  taken  into
account in the model.

Given all the uncertainties listed above, the estimate of 55 billion euros for the costs
of  accidents  at  work  in  EU15  in  2000  must  be  interpreted  with  caution.  At  least  as
regards  costs  of  health  care  and  rehabilitation  it  probably  underestimates  the  real
costs  for  the  reason  pointed  out  above.  Nevertheless  the  estimate  corresponds  to
0.64%  of  the  GDP  of  about  8500  billion  euros  for  EU15  in  2000.  One  must  bear  in
mind that the estimate only concerns accidents at work, non-accidental work-related
health  problems  are  not  covered.  Such  problems  quite  probably  cause  even  more
losses  of  working  time  or  costs  of  health  care.  Depending  on  the  survey  such
problems are estimated to cause 1.6 to 2.2. times more days of temporary incapacity
to  work than  do  accidents  at  work,  while  there  are  2.4  times more  people  reporting
long-standing health problems or disability due to work-related diseases than due to
accidents  at  work.9  This  indicates  that  work-related  non-accidental  health  problems
may  cause  at  least  two  times  more  temporary  and  permanent  incapacity  as
compared to accidents at work.

A  more  accurate  estimation  of  socio-economic  costs  of  work-related  ill-health
necessitates the validation of the present estimates concerning accidents at work (a
larger  survey  preferably  with  face-to-face  interviews  to  increase  the  quality  of  the
answers)  and  inclusion  of  an  analysis  concerning  the  non-accidental  work-related
health  problems.  It  would  be  useful  also  to  collect  information  from  the  insurance
systems which by definition should possess information on these costs.

9 European Commission,Panorama of the European Union, Population and Social Conditions “ Work and
health in the EU, A statistical portrait”, 2003 Edition, ISBN 92-894-7006-2

- Page 18- 

                                                
(cid:1)

ANNEX 1:

CONTACTS ESTABLISHED FOR THE STUDY

- Page 20- 

(cid:1)

In order to specify more precisely the objectives of the study and to ensure that the
results  satisfy  the  needs,  several  contacts  were  made.  The  DG  Employment  and
Social  Affairs,  Unit  D4  Health,  safety  and  hygiene  at work  participated  from  the
beginning  of  the  study  and  contributed  to  reaching  the  objectives  and  definitions  of
costs that needed to be taken into account.

The members of the following expert groups were asked to indicate national experts
that could be interviewed for the draft questionnaire and the approach:

-  DG  Employment  and  Social  Affairs,  Advisory  Committee  on  Safety,

Hygiene and Health Protection at Work

-  Eurostat,  Task  Force  of  European  Statistics  on  Accidents  at  Work

(ESAW),

The ESAW Task Force representatives were also contacted for the possibilities to
organise the questionnaire surveys in their countries.

In the following tables are listed the companies/institutions and the experts that were
contacted for various purposes during the project.

Contacts made via the ESAW representatives (possible organisation of the
surveys, information on national studies conducted)

Spain
Greece
Portugal

Italy

Finland

Luxembourg

France

United
Kingdom

Ministério de Trabajo y asuntos Sociales espana
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs ELLAS
Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidarieda de Social
INAIL (Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul
Lavoro)
Statistics Finland and Federation of Accident Insurance
Institutions
Association d’assurance contre les accidents
CNAMTS (Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie des Travailleurs
Salariés) – Direction des risques professionnels

Health and Safety Executive

Contacts made via the representative members of employers and employees in
the "Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work”

Sweden

United
Kingdom
Ireland

Denmark

Germany

Finland

Spain

Royal Institute of Technology
The association of Swedish Engineering Industries
ETNO  (European  Telecommunications  Network  Operators’
Association)
IBEC
Danish Employers’ Confederation
FTF Denmark
European chemical industry,  Council  (CEAC)  Health,  Safety
and Environment
Employers’ confederation of service industries
Finnish Social Insurance Institution
Finnish Institute of Occupational health
Ministry of Social affairs and health
Universal de todas las provincias espanolas

- Page 21- 

(cid:1)

Interviews  took  place  in  Sweden,  Finland,  Germany  with  experts  in  this  domain.
British  Telecom’s  Representative  Office  experts  were  met  in  Luxembourg.  E-mail
Contacts  were  made  with  experts  from  Portugal,  Austria  and  British  Airports
Autorithy.

Companies and associations contacted to be interviewed on the topic

Sweden

Finland

Portugal

Germany
United
Kingdom

Austria

IPF, Uppsala Science Park
Stockholm University, School of Business
Federation of Accident Insurance Institutions
Manufacturing sector – Metso Paper Oy Rautpohja
Construction sector – SRV Viitoset Oy
Construction sector - NCC
Borealis-group
FIOH: The Finnish Institution of Occupational Health
Manufacturing sector – Kvaener Masa - Yards
APETT – service sector –Portuguese Association of Companies
of Temporary Work
APECA – service sector – Portuguese Association of Companies
of Accountancy, Auditor ship and Administration
APCMC – Construction sector - Portuguese Association of
Traders of Construction Materials
ANTRAM – Transportation sector – National association of Public
Merchandises Transporters
Bayer AG
BT Representative Office
British Airports Autorithy
Diewerstatt
MAHLE Filtersysteme Gm bh

Research carried out by three National Institutes have been taken into account.

Germany

HVBG -Hauptverband der gewerblichen
Berufsgenossenschaften
Netherlands TNO Work & Employment
Austria

AUVA Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt Haupstelle

- Page 22- 

(cid:1)

List of companies/persons interviewed as regards the draft questionnaire

Sweden

Mr. Ulf Jhanson

IPF, Uppsala Science Park

Mr. Jan-Erik Gröjer

Stockholm University, School of Business

Mrs. Paula Liukkonnen

Stockholm University, School of Business

Mr. Björn Hammar

The association of Swedish Engineering
Industries

Finland

Mr. Jarmo Jacobsson

Mr. Hannu Tarvainen

Federation of Accident Insurance
Institutions

Federation of Accident Insurance
Institutions

Mr. Eero Halmetoja

Manufacturing sector – Metso Paper Oy
Rautpohja

Mr. Jari Korpisaari

Construction sector – SRV Viitoset Oy

Mr. Ben Berglöv

Construction sector - NCC

Mr. Veli-Mati Salo

Borealis-group

Ms. Monica Bergström
Mr. Simo Kaleva
Mr. Tuula Räsänen

Mr. Ari Rajamaki

FIOH: The Finnish Institution of
Occupational Health

Manufacturing sector – Kvaener Masa -
Yards

Germany

Dr. Peter G. Schmelzer

Bayer AG

United
Kingdom

Mr. David Wallington

BT Representative Office

Ms Silvester

BT Representative Office

- Page 23- 

(cid:1)

List of companies / persons contacted for the study

List  of  contacts  established  with  the  committee  of  employer,  committee  of
employees,

Sweden

Mr. Tore J Larsson

Royal Institute of Technology

United Kingdom Mrs. Jane Murray

ETNO (European Telecommunications
Network Operators’ Association)

Ireland

Mr. Tony Briscoe

IBEC

Denmark

Mrs. Henriette Bennicke

Danish Employers’ Confederation

Mrs. Jan Kahr
Frederiksen

FTF Denmark

Germany

Dr. Simon L. Cassidy

European chemical industry, Council (CEAC)
Health, Safety and Environment

Finland

Mr. Raili Perimäki-
Dietrich

Finnish Social Insurance Institution

Mr. Rauno Toivonen

Finnish Institute of occupational health

Mr. Antti Mähönen

Employers’ confederation of service industries

Mr. Kari Ilmonen

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

Spain

Mr. Pere Teixido

Universal de todas las provincias espanolas

List of contacts established with the ESAW Task Force

Spain

Greece

Portugal

Mrs. Teresa Santa Cruz

Ministerio de trabajo y asuntos sociales espana

Mr. Fotis Moschopoulos

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs ELLAS

Mrs. Maria Joao Rebelo

ICEP – depot de estatistica do trabalho, emprego
e form. professional

Italy

Mr. Gianfranco Ortolani

INAIL

Finland

Mr. Marko Ylitalo

Stat Finland

Mr. Juha Hemminki

Federation of Accident Insurance Institutions

Luxembourg

Mr. Claude Seywert

Association d’assurance contre les accidents

France

Austria
United
Kingdom

Mr. Frédéric Gudin du
Pavillon
Ms. Beate Mayer
Mr. Chris Collinson

CNAMTS

AUVA
Health and Safety Executive

- Page 24- 

(cid:1)

List of contacts established with other institutes

Germany

Mr. Karlheinz Meffert

HVBG -Hauptverband der gewerblichen
Berufsgenossenschaften

Netherlands

Mr. Steven Dhondt
Mr. Niek Steijger
Mr. Martin Van de Bovenkamp
Mr. Peter Smulders

TNO Work & Employment

Portugal

Mr. Marcelino Pena Costa

Dr. Almeida Serra

Dr. José de Matos

Dr. Francisco Costa Lopes

APETT – service sector –Portuguese
Association of Companies of Temporary
Work

APECA – service sector – Portuguese
Association of Companies of Accountancy,
Auditorship and Administration

APCMC – Construction sector - Portuguese
Association of Traders of Construction
Materials

ANTRAM – Transportation sector – National
association of Public Merchandises
Transporters

Austria

United
Kingdom

Ms Maria Theresia
Bretschneider
Mr. Ing. Franz Mlinar

Diewerstatt

MAHLE Filtersysteme Gmbh

Mr. Louis Smith

British Airports Authority

- Page 25- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 2:

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

- Page 26- 

(cid:1)

I.  BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES of the three studied models

1.  Ministry  of  social  affairs  and  health  (Finland),  1997-1998.  The  TYTA  Model  -

Implement for Evaluating the Company’s Working Environment Costs

In  1997-1998  Finland’s  Ministry  of  Social  Affairs  and  Health,  Department  for
Occupational  Safety  and  Health  together  with  the  OSH  inspectorates,  carried  out  a
project with the aim of developing the labour inspection methods using the economic
approach  (the  TALVA  project).  The  TYTA  model  was  part  of  this  project  and
introduced  a  calculation  tool  for  estimating  the  economic  impacts  of  the  working
environment  at  company  level.  The  TYTA  model  produces  information  on  costs
turnover,  disability  and
caused  by  absenteeism  due 
development  of  working  conditions.  At  the  same  time  the  model  is  a  tool  for
management to undertake steps related  to  the  working  environment  and  to  develop
working conditions. The aim  of  the model  is  to  motivate  companies  to  develop  their
working conditions.

illness,  accidents, 

to 

2. 

Fiammetta Gordon, Davis Risley, The costs to Britain of workplace accidents and

work-related ill health in 1995/96- HSE, Health and Safety Executive, The United
Kingdom

HSE  (Health  and  Safety  Executive)  put  in  place  a  methodology  and  calculation
methods  in  order  to  measure  the  costs  to  Britain  of  workplace  accidents  and  work-
related ill health in 1995/1996. One of the factors allowing to make informed decisions
about  preventive  measures  and  regulation  of  risk  in  work  activities  is  the  monetary
evaluation  of  the  costs  of  work-related  illnesses  and  injuries;  using  a  similar
framework as previous HSE work in 1990 (Davies and Teasdale, 1994). It shows the
extent  of  occupational  injuries  and  illness,  and  identifies  costs  to  individuals,
employers  and  society.  Cost  estimates  are  then  compared  to  previous  British
estimates and those made for other countries.

3. 

British Telecom – Health and Safety Costing Model,Single and Multiple Accidents,

May 2003, produced by Group Operations Finance

In October 2002, BT decided to develop the basis of a model which would enable it to
calculate  the  true  costs  of  work  accidents.  The  model  focuses  on  physically  proved
costs.  This  way  information  is  directly  usable  by  business  units.  It  breaks  down  the
costs  of  work  accidents  into  3  cost  headings:  people  resource  costs,  property
damage  costs  and  additional  costs.  The  model  is  proving  very  valuable  in  targeting
resources and identifying areas which warrant remedial action. The data is also likely
to become a key performance indicator for health and safety within the business.

- Page 27- 

(cid:1)

II.  BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ON OTHER STUDIES

4.  Ministry of social affairs and health. Economics of the working environment

The  objective  of  the  project  was  determined  in  the  following  way:  “The
purpose  of  the  project  is  to  develop  the  occupational  safety  operations  of
workplaces by producing and disturbing information and models for action for
the workplaces to consider and make more use of the financial importance of
working conditions”

5.  Dr.  med.  M.  de    Loës.  Work-Related  Injuries  From  Mandatory  Fitness  Training
Among  Swedish  Firemen  prepared  by  Karolinka  Institutet,  Dept  of  Publicc  Health
Sciences, Division of  Social Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden

Three different types of costs. The two first are based on the number of days
of  sick-leave.  Medical  treatment  –  Production  loss  –  Compensation  for
disfigurement and lasting non-financial loss. Material : all registered injuries in
professional firemen  in  Sweden from  1992 to  1998  No  comment  concerning
the costs but possibility to contact the author.

6. 

Jahangir  Khan,  M.Sc.,  Bjarne  Jansson,  Ph.D.  Risk 
occupational health insurance expenditure : a gender imbalance

level  assessment  and

It  is  tested  whether  occupational  risk  explains  differences  in  reimbursements  from
occupational-injury insurance schemes in relation to socio-economic differences in all
municipalities  in  Stockholm  county,  Sweden.  An  occupational  risk  level  is  formed,
which  considered  the  proportions  of  workers  in  various  industrial  sectors  and  the
probability  of  a  worker  being  injured  in  each.  A  regression  analysis  is  performed,
treating  socioeconomic  factors,  occupational-risk  level  explains  the  pattern  of
payments to men but not to women. From a gender perspective, it can be concluded
that women, as a group, are not compensated for their occupational risks to the same
extent as men.

7.  M. de Loës, B.Jansson. Work-Related acute injuries from mandatory fitness training

in the Swedish Police Force

See  comments  below  on  Work-related  Injuries  From  Mandatory  Fitness  Training
Among Swedish Firemen

8.  Bjarne  Jansson,  Bengt  Springfeldt,  Börje  Bengtsson,  Bo  Landgren.  National  costs

surveillance of occupational injuries using a record linkage

Total  costs  for  killed  and  injured  persons  due  to  road  traffic  accidents  and
other accidents have been divided into three parts:

1.  Expenses  for  hospital  care,  consultations  with  physicians,  drugs,

therapeutic aid,

2.  Loss of production due to short term illness, permanent disability and

premature death,

- Page 28- 

(cid:1)

3.  Costs associated with pain, suffering and grief (human value)
9.  Bjarne Jansson PhD. Research Program on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion

Presentation of the third comprehensive presentation of the area of safety promotion
research  of  safety  promotion  research  at  Karolinska  Institutet  (Current  programs,
external funding and publications 2001-2003)

10.  A.  John  Bailer  (PhD),  James  F.  Bena  (MS),  Leslie  T.  Stayner  (PhD),  William  E.
Halperin (MD, DrPH), and Robert M. Park (MS). External Cause-Specific Summaries
of Occupational Fatal Injuries. Part 1: an analysis of rates

Fatalities  from  the  National  Traumatic  Occupational  Fatality  database  (years  1983-
1994) serve  as the  basis for examining external cause of death code specific rates.
Industries and occupations are compared with respect to rate and frequency of fatal
injuries.  In  addition,  external  causes  of  injury  (E-codes)  are  examined  across  all
industries  and  occupations  as  well  as  within  industries  and  occupations  to  evaluate
which  events  would  be  identified  by  frequency  ordered  comparisons  versus  rate
ordered comparisons.

11.  A.  John  Bailer  (PhD),  James  F.  Bena  (MS),  Leslie  T.  Stayner  (PhD),  William  E.
Halperin (MD, DrPH), and Robert M. Park (MS). External Cause-Specific Summaries
of Occupational Fatal Injuries. Part 2: an analysis of rates

Fatalities  from  the  National  traumatic  Occupational  Fatality  surveillance  system
served  as  the  basis  for  examining  external  cause  (E-code)  specific  impact
summaries. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) were calculated for fatal injuries in the
years  1983-1994.  Industries  and  occupations  were  compared  with  respect  to
frequency  of  fatal  injuries.  In  addition,  injuries  in  categories  of  external  causes  are
examined across all industries and occupations.

12.  Tore J. Larsson, Neville J. Betts. The variation of occupational injury cost in Australia;

Estimates based on a small empirical study

In order to asses the ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ costs associated with occupational injury in
Australia, a sample of accidents were investigated with the help of in-depth interviews
with victims, supervisors and managers in a number of small, medium-size and large
industries in Victoria, Australia. The average costs for minor (<=7days lost) and major
(>  7  days  lost)  injuries  was  assessed,  and  the  distribution  between  the  injured
individual, the production system and the compensation system in terms  of meeting
these  costs  was  shown  to  vary  considerably  between  the  different  Australian
jurisdictions  and  workers’  compensation  systems.  Substantial  unpriced  time  was
spent by injury victims and families as a consequence of the injury. A large proportion
of  the  cost  associated  with  occupational  injury  in  Australia  was  paid  by  the  injured
individual.

- Page 29- 

(cid:1)

13.  Söderqvist, T. Rundmo, M. Aaltonen.  Costs  of  Occupational  Accidents  in  the  nordic

Furniture Industry (Sweden, Norway, Finland)

An  empirical  study  of  the  costs  of  occupational  accidents  was  carried  out  during
1986-87 in 57 furniture companies in Finland, Norway and Sweden, employing 5,000
cabinet-makers.  The  sample  covered  18  percent  of  the  furniture  manufacturing
industry in the three countries. The main objective of this study was to increase safety
management motivation. The layout of the study was identical in all three. A total of
460 accidents were investigated. The consequences of each accident were identified
and  analyzed.  The  costing  is  based  on  three  costing  models,  called  the  market
pricing  model,  the  accounting  model,  and  the  spare-capacity  model.  The  latter  was
developed within the project and tested in Norway and Sweden

14.  Torbjorn  Rundmo,  Anders  Söderqvist.  Economics  assessment  of  occupational

injuries in furniture industries

A total of 39 furniture manufacturing firms in Norway and Sweden were sampled for a
study of occupational accidents. All injuries occuring in the course of one  year  were
investigated (n=246) and accident costs  were calculated.  The  firms  studied  covered
20%  of  the  total  number  of  employees  in  this  industry.  The  main  objective  of  this
paper is to compare two models for costing accidents: the market-pricing model and
the  spare  capacity  model.  The  latter  was  divised  in  pursuit  of  the  project  aims.  In-
plant  costs  calculated  with  the  psare-capacity  model  were  two  to  five  times  those
arrived at using the market-pricing model. The spare-capacity model most realistically
reflected true costs. When the conventional market-pricing model was used, financial
losses tended to be underestimated. A substantial portion of the total costs was borne
by other than the employing firms

15.  Gwendolyn  Haile  Cattledge,  Aaron  Schneiderman,  Ronald  Stanevich,  Scoot
Hendricks  and  Judith  Greenwood.  Non  Fatal  occupational  fall  injuries  in  the  west
Virginia Construction industry

Descriptive analyses were conducted using the West Virginia workers’ compensation
and  supplemental  injury  records  to  assess  nonfatal  occupational  falls  from  elevated
work surfaces in the construction industry. These analyses are based on the 182 fall
injuries.  Most  of  these  incidents  occurred  among  young  white  males  who  were
construction category (SIC-15).

16.  Lobat  Hashemi  (MS),  Barbara  S.  Webster  (BSPT,  PA-C).  Non-fatal  workplace

violence Workers’ compensation claims (1993-1996)

More  is  known  about  fatal  workplace  violence  that  non-fatal  workplace  violence
(NFWV).  This  study  provides  descriptive  information  on  the  number  and  cost  of
NFWV  claims  filed  with  a  large  worker’s  compensation  carrier.  Employers  should
acknowledge that NFWV incidents occur, recognize that the majority of perpetrators
are  criminals  or  clients  rather  than  employees,  and  develop  appropriate  prevention
and intervention programs.

- Page 30- 

(cid:1)

17.  Judith E. Glazner (MS), Joleen Borgerding (BA), Jan T. Lowery (MPH), Jessica Bony
(MHA), Kathryn L. Mueller (MD, MPH) and Kathleen Kreiss (MD). Construction Injury
Rates  may  exceed    national  estimates:  evidence  from  the  construction  of  Denver
International Airport

Comprehensive  payroll  data  for  all  workers,  who  were  paid  standard  Davis-Bacon
wages,  allowed  calculation  of  person-hours  at  risk  by  job  classification.  Complete
reporting,  facilitated  by  a  single  workers’  compensation  plan  covering  all  contracts
and  by  an  on-site  medical  clinic  and  designated  provider  system,  allowed  us  to
determine both total and lost-work-time (LWT) injury rates per 200,000 hours at risk
by industrial sector, company size, and year of construction. Workers’ compensation
payment  rates  were  calculated  and  compared  with  expected  loss  rates,  derived  by
the National Council on Compensation Insurance, by sector, company size, and year.

18.  Jan  T.  Lowery  (MPH),  Judith  Glazner  (MS),  Joleen  A.  Borgerding  (MS),  Jessica
Bondy  (MSHA),  Denis  C.  Lezotte  (PhD),  and  Kathleen  Kreiss  (MD).  Analysis  of
Construction Injury Burden by Type of Work

Injury  rates  and  WC  payment  rates  were  calculated  for  25  types  of  work  based  on
claims  and  payroll  data  reported  to  DIA’s  owner-controlled  insurance  program
according  to  National  Council  on  Compensation  Insurance  job  classifications.  By
linking  DIA  claims  with  corresponding  lost-work-time  (LWT)  claims  filed  with
Colorado’s  Workers’  Compensation  Division,  we  were  also  able  to  obtain  and
examine both total and median lost days for each type of work.

19.  Evzen Hrncir (MD, PhD) and Miroslav Cikrt (MD, DS). The Occupational Disease and

Injury Compensatory System in the Czech republic

The article deals with methods of evaluation of occupational diseases and injuries in
the  Czech  Republic  (occupational  injuries,  occupational  diseases  and  intoxications,
other  damage  caused  by  work)  and  with  the  types  of  social  and  financial
compensation of patients suffering from the above conditions

20.  Niklas Krause (MD, MPH, PhD), John W. Franck (MD, CCFP, MSc, FRCP©), Lisa K.
Dasinger  (PhD),  Terry  J.  Sullivan  (PhD)  and  Sandra  J.  Sinclair  (Dip  P&  OT,  MSc).
Determinants  of  Duration  of  Disability  and  Return-to-Work  after  work  related  injury
and illness: challenges for future research

Review  of  the  literature  to  identify  research  challenges  originating  from  the
multitude  of  disciplines,  data  sources,  outcome  measures,  and
methodological  and  analytical  problems.  The  purpose  of  this  review  was  to
identify critical data and research needs in addressing the following question:
what are the primary factors that affect the time lost from work, return-to-work
(RTW), subsequent unemployment, and changes in occupation after disabling
illness or injury.

- Page 31- 

(cid:1)

21.  Susan D. Keller (PhD). Quantifying Social Consequences of occupational injuries and

illnesses: State of the Art and research agenda

Quantitative  methods  for  describing  the  social  effects  of  occupational  injury  and
illness are evaluated including surveys of prevalence and ratings of severity of social
role disability. The reliability and validity for the injured worker population of the most
commonly  used  general  and  condition-specific  role  disability  measures  is  reviewed
and  summarised.  This  review  is  used  to  support  the  development  of  a  prototype
strategy  for  quantifying  the  social  consequences  of  occupational  injuries  and  to
identify areas of need for further research and development.

22.  Philip  J.  W.  Carrivick  (MBBS),  Andy  H.  Lee  (PhD),  Kelvin  K.  W.  Yau  (PhD).
Effectiveness  of  a  workplace  risk  assessment  team  in  reducing  the  rate,  cost,  and
duration of occupational injury

This  study  evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  a  consultative  workplace  risk  assessment
team  in  reducing  the  rate  and  severity  of  injury  among  cleaners  within  a  600-bed
hospital. Cohorts of cleaning services and orderly services staff ever employed within
both a 4-year pre-intervention and a 3-year post-intervention period were assigned to
the intervention and comparison groups, respectively

23.  Johan Roels. Economic aspects of occupational accidents

Dissertation  in  the  framework  of  a  vocational  training  course  leading  to  the
achievement of a certificate for health and safety officers. The dissertation describes
the economic aspects of occupational accidents at company level (micro level). In the
first part the author describes the research that was done on occupational accidents
from an economic perspective. In the second part the author gives the results of case
studies he has done in 4 French companies and one Belgian. For each company he
calculates  the  costs  of  the  occupational  accidents.  The  relate  to  the  damages,
production losses, medical costs…He also calculates the relation between the costs
covered by the insurance and the costs covered by the company.

24.  Ronlad  C.  Kessler  (PhD),  Catherine  Barber  (MPA),  Arne  Beck  (PhD),  Patricia
Berglund  (M.  BA),  Paul  D.  Cleary  (PhD),  David  McKenas  (MD),  Nico  Pronk  (PhD),
Gregory Simon (MD), Paul Stang (PhD), T. Bedirhan Ustun (MD), Phillip Wang (MD,
ScD). Annual dossier from PREVENT (CHAP 9: Que coûtent les accidents du travail
?))  -  The  world  health  organisation  Health  and  Work  Performance  Questionnaire
(HPQ)

This  report  describes  the  World  Health  Organization  Health  and  Work  Performance
Questionnaire  (HPQ),  a  self-report  instrument  designed  to  estimate  the  workplace
costs of health problems in terms of reduced job performance, sickness absence, and
work-related  accidents-injuries.  Calibration  data  are  presented  on  the  relationship
between  individual-level  HPQ  reports  and  archival  measures  of  work  performance
and absenteeism obtained from employer archives in four groups: airline reservation
agents  (n=441),  customer  service  representatives  (n=505),  automobile  company
executives  (n=554),  and  railroad  engineers  (n=850).  Good  concordance  is  found
between  the  HPQ  and  the  archival  measures  in  all  four  occupations.  The  paper
closes with a brief discussion of the calibration methodology useed to monetize HPQ
reports and of future directions in substantive research based on the HPQ

- Page 32- 

25.  Robert  J.  McCunney  (MD,  MPH).  Health  and  Productivity:  a  role  for  occupational

health professionals

(cid:1)

low  unemployment 

The  impressive  economic  gains  achieved  by  many  nations  within  the  past  decade
have  been  attributed  primarily  to  improvements  in  productivity  from  technical
the
changes.  The  resultant 
importance  of  human  capital  in  the  success  of  any  enterprise.  Concurrently,  some
economists  have  proposed  an  alternative  economic  viw  regarding  the  relationship
between  health  and  income,  postulating  that  improvements  in  the  health  of  the
nation’s  population  have  a  substantial  effect  on  its  economic  viability.  Such  a  view
directly  pertains  to  occupational  health  professionals,  who  are  often  charged  with
promoting the health of the worker. Although studies relating the beneficial impact of
occupational health on productivity and human performance are limited, some efforts
have shown impressive effects, as measured primarily by reduced absenteeism.

levels,  however,  emphasise 

26.  Robert  J.  McCunney  (MD,  MPH).  Multiple  state  hazard  models  and  workers’
compensation claims: an examination of workers compensation data from Ontario

The  recurrent  nature  of  some  workplace  injuries  has  led  some  researchers  to
conclude that the first absence from work does not provide an accurate picture of an
individual’s  claim,  or  employment  history,  after  a  workplace  injury.  In  this  paper  I
estimate a multiple state hazard which estimates the transitions between spells where
the  individual  receives  workers’  compensation  benefits  and  spells  where  the
individual does not receive any workers’ compensation benefits. I apply this model to
a sample of claims from Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

27.  N. Bull, T. Riise and B.E. Moen. Occupational injuries to fisheries workers in Norway

reported to insurance companies from 1991 to 1996

Fisheries work is one of the occupations at highest risk for occupational accidents in
many  countries.  It  is  necessary  to  understand  the  injuries  in  order  to  prevent  them.
This  study  of  occupational  injury  claims  by  fisheries  workers  in  Norway  made  to
insurance  companies  from  1991  to  1996  analysed  the  workers’  age,  time  of  injury,
injury  type,  part  of  the  body  involved,  injury  event  and  cost.  The  highest  injury
incidence  rates  were  among  the  younger  fisheries  workers  and  during  the  winter
months.  Bruises  and  fractures  were  the  most  frequent  injury  types,  and  fingers  and
hands  were  most  often  affected,  whereas  falls  and  accidents  related  to  machines
were  the  most  common  causes.  Safety  measures  should  be  taken  on  board  to
prevent falls and machine-related  injuries,  and  young  fisheries  workers  should  have
better on-the-job training.

28.  M.  Bryla,  I.  Rydlewska-Liszkowska,  M.M.  Smolen.  Occupational  accidents  in  a
selected  chemical  enterprise  in  Poland  and  an  attempt  to  evaluate  their  economic
effects

A chemical plant in the Lodz area was chosen for the study. In 1998 it employed on
average  1572  people  (28%women);  in  1989  there  were  1434  employees  (27.7%
women).  The  plant  was  manufacturing  (among  other  things)  glass  silk  thread,
polyamides and polyactrylonitryl fibres. The  plant  was chosen  because the  levels  of
both occupational accidents and occupational hazards were similar to the average for
the country. Absenteeism due to accidents, injuries and poisonings and its economic

- Page 33- 

effect  were  the  subjects  of  the  study.  The  impact  of  absenteeism  accidents  outside
the plant was not taken into consideration

(cid:1)

29.  David Weil (PhD). Valuing the Economic Consequences of work injury and illness: a

comparison of methods and findings

This  paper  compares methods  of  economic  valuation,  focusing  in  particular  on  how
different  methods  diverge  to  varying  degrees  from  measuring  the  “true”  economic
costs of injuries and illnesses. In so doing, it surveys the literature that has arisen in
the past 25 years to measure different aspects of economic consequences. Estimates
of the costs of injuries and fatalities tend to understate the true economic costs from a
social welfare perspective, particularly in how they account for occupational fatalities
and losses arising from work disabilities.

30.  Allard  E.  Dembe  (ScD).  The  social  consequences  of  occupational  injuries  and

illnesses

Most outcome studies of occupational injuries and illnesses have tended to focus on
direct economic costs and duration of work disability. Rarely have the broader social
consequences of work-related disorders or their impacts on injured workers’ families,
coworkers,  and  community  have  investigated.  This  paper  examines  a  wide  range
vocational 
family  and  community  relationships.  Complex  and
multifactorial relationships are described whereby occupational injuries and illnesses
produce  a  variety  of  social  consequences  involving  filing  and  administration  of
workers’  compensation  insurance  claims,  medical  care  experiences,  domestic
function and activities of daily living, psychological and behavioural responses, stress,
vocational function, rehabilitation and return to work, and equity and social justice.

function,  and 

III.  OTHER BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

31.  Allard  E.  Dembe  (ScD).  The  social  consequences  of  occupational  injuries  and

illnesses

32.  PANORAMA OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. Work and Health in the EU: A statistical

portrait

- Page 34- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 3:

DESCRIPTION AND METHODOLOGY OF EXISTING MODELS

- Page 35- 

(cid:1)

Before proposing a new model of costs by type of accident at work, the first step of
the  project consisted  in  gathering  information  on  costs  of  accidents  at  work  and  on
related  topics.  Research  was  carried  out  via  Internet.  Additional  information  was
obtained  via  the  contribution  of  ESAW  representatives  during  the  Task  Force
meeting  and  the  collaboration  of  the  representative  members  of  employers  and
employees in the "Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at
Work” (see annex 1).

A  series  of  studies  were  identified  (see  bibliographic  references  and  summaries  of
studies  in  annex  2).  These  studies  do  not  always  lead  to  the  definition  of  a  model.
They highlight the different aspects to be taken into account in the study and the way
to  measure  accident  costs.  Few  models  exist  and  are  implemented  to  estimate
average unit cost per typical accident. Models are generally based on different levels
of  estimations.  The  relation  between  direct  and  indirect  costs  of  accidents  is  very
often  estimated  at  once  for  all  analyses  and  the  resulting  coefficient  is  used  as  a
default  value  for  estimating  indirect  costs.  The  method  gives  a  rough  picture  of  the
indirect impact of accidents. If necessary, an estimate of the relation between direct
and  indirect  costs  is  revised  after  some  years.  The  problem  is  that  the  relation
between  direct  and  indirect  costs  varies  very  much  depending  on  the  type  of
accident.

Research from existing literature allowed identifying three main models. One studied
model is the TYTA model (Ministry of social affairs and health (Finland), 1997-1998.
The  TYTA  Model  -  Implement  for  Evaluating  the  Company’s  Working  Environment
Costs). In 1997-1998, Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for
Occupational  Safety  and  Health  together  with  the  OSH  inspectorates,  carried  out  a
project with the aim of developing the labour inspection methods using the economic
approach  (the  TALVA  project).  The  TYTA  model  was  part  of  this  project  and
introduced  a  calculation  tool  for  estimating  the  economic  impacts  of  the  working
environment  at  company  level.  The  TYTA  model  produces  information  on  costs
caused  by  absenteeism  due 
turnover,  disability  and
development  of  working  conditions.  At  the  same  time,  the  model  is  a  tool  for
management to undertake steps related to the working environment and to improve
working conditions. The aim of the model is to motivate  companies  to  develop  their
working conditions.

illness,  accidents, 

to 

Another  model  is  the  British  Telecom’s  Health  and  Safety  Accident  Cost  Model
(British  Telecom  –  Health  and  Safety  Costing  Model,Single  and  Multiple  Accidents,
May 2003, produced by Group Operations Finance). In October 2002, BT decided to
develop the basis of a model which would enable to calculate the true costs of work
accidents. The model focuses on physically proved costs. This way, the information
is directly usable by business units. It breaks down the costs of work accidents into 3
cost  headings:  people  resource  costs,  property  damage  costs  and  additional  costs.
The model is proving very valuable in targeting resources and identifying areas which
warrant  remedial  action.  The  data  is  also  likely  to  become  a  key  performance
indicator for health and safety within the business.

HSE (Health and Safety Executive) also put in place a methodology and calculation
methods  in  order  to  measure  the  costs  to  Britain  of  workplace  accidents  and  work-
related ill health in 1995/1996 (Fiammetta Gordon, Davis Risley, The costs to Britain
of  workplace  accidents  and  work-related  ill  health  in  1995/96-  HSE,  Health  and
Safety  Executive,  The  United  Kingdom).  One  of  the  factors  allowing  to  make
informed  decisions  about  preventative  measures  and  regulation  of  risk  in  work
activities  is  the  monetary  evaluation  of  the  costs  of  work-related  illnesses  and

- Page 36- 

(cid:1)

injuries;  using  a  similar  framework  as  previous  HSE  work  in  1990  (Davies  and
Teasdale,  1994).  It  shows  the  extent  of  occupational  injuries  and  illness,  and
identifies  costs  to  individuals,  employers  and  society.  Cost  estimates  are  then
compared to previous British estimates and those made for other countries.

Each  of  these  methods  present  different  characteristics  in  terms  of  kinds  of  costs
taken  into  account  and  types  of  accidents  considered.  A  concise  description  of
different models  implemented  is given  below.  For  each model, the type  of  cost  and
accidents as well as the methodology of estimation is explained.

1.  The  TYTA  model,  Implement  for  Evaluating  the  Company’s  Working
Environment  Costs,  Ministry  of  social  affairs  and  health,  international
Publications 1999:3

The kind of costs considered are the following:

-  Costs of absenteeism due to sickness: costs of absence day, direct costs,
long-term

impact  of  absenteeism 

(short-term  and 

indirect  costs, 
absenteeism)

-  Accident costs: payroll costs of time of absence due to  accident,  indirect
costs of an accident (compensation of absenteeism, loss of working hours
of others, loss of property, output loss, higher insurance premium).

-  Staff  turnover  and  disability  pension:  cost  of  resigned  employee,  cost  of
resigned  clerical  employee,  cost  of  disability  pension/case,  cost  of  new
employee and cost of new clerical employee.

For each of them, a methodology of estimation has been defined

- 

- 

Model for calculate costs due to absenteeism: the basis for estimating
costs due to absenteeism is calculation of payroll costs during absenteeism (not
calculation  of  payroll  savings  due  to  absenteeism).  The  additional  costs  of
absenteeism  are  the  sum  of  direct  and  indirect  costs  minus  the  regular
wages/salaries.  The  direct  costs  are  formed  by  wages  during  sick  leave  and
indirect  employee  costs.  A  satisfying  accuracy  is  reached  when  estimating  an
average payroll cost during sick leave by means of average earnings per hour
and the coefficient of indirect employee costs.

Model  for  calculating  accident  costs:  There  are  a  lot  of  theoretical
models  for  calculating  accident  costs,  but  only  a  few  which  can  be  put  into
practice. Here, costs are calculated by means of a method according to which
direct and indirect  costs  are first  estimated  and from this  sum,  compensations
received  from  the  accident  insurance  and  regular  wages  are  deducted,  in  the
same way as calculating net costs of absenteeism due to sickness. The direct
costs of accidents which correspond to the loss of working hours caused by the
injured  are  calculated  as  direct  costs  of  an  accident.  To  enable  estimation  of
indirect costs of accidents a lot of lists are drawn up and by means of these, it is
possible to describe consequences of an accident with varying exactness. Most
types  of  costs  are  typical  of  only  very  rare  or  very  severe  accidents.
Consequently  it  is  difficult  to  work  out  reliable  and  general  instructions  for
estimating indirect cost of accidents.

- Page 37- 

(cid:1)

- 

Methodology  to  investigate  accident  costs  on  company  level:  the
objective  is  to  choose  a  representative  sample  of  accidents  from  company’s
accident statistics. The figures calculated are generalized to cover all accidents
in  the  company.  Accidents  that  are  used  for  analysing  accidents  costs  are
divided into a small number of groups so that accidents with the same kind of
consequences are put into one group. Different kinds of  accidents  are  chosen
for  the  calculation  of  costs  so  that  standard  prices  and  coefficients  can  be
established  according  to  the  type  of  accident.  When  the  sample  has  been
chosen, the information on costs can be compiled  and  specific ratios  between
direct and indirect costs can be estimated.

The following types of accidents were considered:

-  Work travel accidents;
-  Heavy lifting;
-  Accidents involving a machine;
-  Accidents involving eyes;
-  Slipping accident etc.;
-  Other accidents.

2.  The Health and Safety Accident Cost Model from British Telecom

The kinds of costs considered are the following:

-  People  resource  costs  (based  upon  data  captured  by  Accenture):  sick
absence cost, management downtime cost of dealing with the incident;
-  Property  damage  costs  (this  is  currently  limited  to  vehicle  damage  costs
where there is sufficient data to enable granular costing): average cost of
a vehicle repair for  accidents  through  Accenture  which  involve  a  vehicle,
the  balance  of  vehicle  repair  costs  which  are  not  captured  through  the
Accenture  accident  reporting  process,  third  party  claims  costs  resulting
from incidents involving BT vehicles;

-  Additional costs: costs of any associated legal activities and also the costs

of Employers Liability and Personal Accident insurance claims.

For each of them, a methodology of estimation has been defined:

The  methodology  of  estimation  is  not  exactly  the  same  whatever  the  kind  of  query
used. Various kinds of queries are possible. The single query provides costs specific
to an employee’s details, the cause of accident, the injured body part, the number of
sick days. It takes into account the fact that it is a reportable case or not, if a vehicle
is  involved,  a  third  party  vehicle  is  involved,  a  claim  against  employer  liability  or  a
claim against PA insurance. The multiple request provides summary results. Here is
the mode of calculation of each cost:

- 

Replacement  labour  cost  of  sick  absence:  it  is  a  sum  of  the
replacement labour cost of sick absence by cause of injury and injured part of
the body. For each cause of injury and injured part of the body, the replacement

- Page 38- 

(cid:1)

labour  cost  of  sick  absence  is  estimated  by  multiplying  the  average  sick
absence days per accident by a cost multiplier (which is fixex whatever the kind
of accident) and multiplied by a coefficient specific to the cause of the injury and
to  the  injured  part  of  the  body.  There  is  no  explanation  concerning  the  cost
multiplier nor the coefficient specific to the cause of injury and to the injured part
of the body.

Management  downtime  costs:  First,  an  estimate  of  the  average  sick
absence days per accident specific to each category was made. In order to get
this estimation, the average sick absence days per accident was used and was
multiplied  it  to  a  coefficient  specific  to  each  category.  Once  the  average  sick
absence  days  per  category  estimated,  the  financial  costs  estimations  were
used:  if  the  number  of  sick  days  is  inferior  to  six  days,  then  the  costs  of
management administration time is estimated to be equal to 2 hours of MPG4
plus  3  hours  of  NMG(C)  plus  1  hour  of  safety  consultant  plus  miscellaneous
costs.  It  corresponds  to  total  people  resource  costs.  (MPG4  and  NMG(C)
corresponds  apparently  to  different  grades  /job  groups).  The  management
administration  time  is  the  sum  of  all  the  management  administration  time  for
each category.

Cost of  damage  in  vehicle  related  accidents /  Costs  of  repairs  –  BT
vehicle:  firstly  the  cost  of  repairs  of  BT  vehicles  are  estimated  by  grade  /  job
group.  BT  uses  an  estimation  of  the  number  of  road  traffic  accidents  by
category and they multiply it either by the costs of repairs of liveried vehicles or
the costs of repairs of unliveried vehicles (it depends on the grade of the person
involved). Contrary to what is done concerning the single query, here, the cost
of damage to vehicles only includes damage in vehicle  related  accidents.  But,
here,  it  is  not  an  estimate  by  vehicle  but  a  global  estimate  for  “all  British
Telecom” from April 2002 to March 2003.

Cost  of  damage  in  vehicle  related  accidents  /  Costs  of  repairs  –  3rd
party  claims:  Firstly,  BT  determines  the  number  of  road  traffic  accidents
involving people with liveried vehicles and the number with unliveried vehicles.
They multiply each number by the corresponding estimated costs of third party
claims per total accident (either with liveried vehicle or unliveried vehicle).

Other  vehicle  incident  costs  (not  linked  to  accident  data)  /  costs  of
repairs  –  BT  vehicle:  it  is  the  subtraction  of  all  costs  of  vehicle  incidents
relatively to costs of damage in vehicle related accidents (cost of repairs – BT
vehicle).

Other  vehicle  incident  costs  (not  linked  to  accident  data)  /  costs  of
repairs – 3rd party claims: it is the same subtraction than before but with costs
of repairs of 3rd party claims, i.e. the subtraction of all costs of vehicle incidents
relatively to costs of damage in vehicle related accidents (cost of repairs – BT
vehicle).

Impact  on  vehicle  provision  policy  (include  cost  of  providing  daily
hire fleet): it is based on an estimate by kind of vehicle (Fiesta, Escort, Astra,
Transit, 1 tonne Transit, etc). The estimation by kind of vehicle is based on an
annual cost multiplied by the number of vehicle of this kind and multiplied by the

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- Page 39- 

(cid:1)

- 

- 

- 

percentage of usage related to accident. The impact on vehicle provision policy
is the sum of all these estimations.

Additional  costs  /  Legal  costs:  it  is  a  sum  based  on  the  estimation  of
the legal cost per accident multiplied by the number of accidents. The program
gives  the  opportunity  to  specify  different  legal  costs  according  to  the  injured
body part.

Additional  cost  /  cost  of  personal  accident  insurance:  it  is  a  sum
based on the estimation of the cost of personal accident insurance multiplied by
the number of accidents. The costs of personal accident insurance are specific
to the part of the body injured. So for the estimation, they multiply the number of
accidents  for  each  part  of  the  body  injured  by  the  specific  costs  of  personal
accident insurance.

Additional  cost  /  cost  of  employer’s  liability  insurance:  it  is  a  sum
based on estimates by part of the body injured and cause of injury. It is the sum
of  all  the  estimations.  Each  specific  estimate  is  the  multiplication  of  a  specific
coefficient  and  the  average  sick  absence  days  per  accident  and  a  cost
multiplier. There is no explanation concerning how the specific coefficients are
obtained.

The following types of accidents are considered

-  Falls outside;
-  Falls inside;
-  Falls height;
-  Acoustic shock;
-  Road traffic accident;
-  Handling;
-  Objects falling;
-  Sudden/awkward movements;
-  Striking/stepping;
-  Non RTA vehicle;
-  Hand tools;
-  Violence;
-  Other.

3. The  costs  to  Britain  of  workplace  accidents  and  work-related  ill  health  in
1995/96 - HSE, Health and Safety Executive, United Kingdom

The kind of costs considered are the following:

-  costs to individuals of workplace injuries and work-related ill health: financial

costs and ‘human costs’;

- 

two types of financial costs incurred by individuals: (a) loss of income and
(b) extra expenditure taking into account :

- Page 40- 

(cid:1)

o  Extra  purchases  of  medicines:  for  some  people  this  could  be

significant, though for most it will not;
o  Costs of travel to hospital for treatment;
o 

Increased  shopping  bills:  while  a  person  is  incapacitated  their
household  grocery  bills  may  be  increased  as  they  may  be  forced  to
use more accessible but probably more expensive outlets;

o  Reduction in expenditure on travel to work;

-  Costs  to  employers:  costs  resulting  from  absence  from  work,  costs  of
replacing  those  who  are  forced  to  quit  the  job,  damage  to  materials  and
equipment and compensation and insurance.

-  Costs to society, including those borne by the individuals (and their families
and friends) and employers directly affected. Only direct costs to society are
considered.  It  is  broken  down  into  three  components  :  loss  of  output,  other
resource  costs  (damage,  administration,  medical  treatment  and  HSE/local
authority investigations) and human costs.

For each of them, a methodology of estimation has been defined:

-  Sick pay arrangements: assumptions on the form of income received by people
when  absent  from  work  have  been  made.  Assumptions  were  based  mainly  on
information from 1990 LFS using  data averaged  over two  years and  rounded  to
the  nearest  5%.  In  order  to  calculate  the  total  income  lost  when  absent  due  to
workplace  injury  and  work-related  ill  health,  the  percentages  breakdown  of
sources of income for absent workers, by duration of absence is used.

-  Extra purchases of medicine: It is assumed that just one prescription (and that
everyone  has  to  pay  for  prescriptions)  for  certain  categories  of  victims  and  an
extra  one  for  those  absent  for  more  than  five  working  days  due  to  an  illness  is
issued. The unit costs of prescriptions have been estimated.

-  Cost of travel to hospital for treatment: costs to health service have had to be
estimated by assuming that a longer duration of incapacity is correlated with more
treatment – as both relate to severity – and consequently with higher costs. The
typical  cost  of  a  GP  consultation  was  calculated  by  the  Department  of  Health.
Assuming that every GP visit results in a prescription that costs about £17.70, the
total cost of a consultation is £27.30. A table of correspondence has been  done
between the treatment required and the different durations of absence.

- 

Increased shopping bills: It was assumed that for half of the absentees off for
over  a  week, this adds 10% (£5.70) to  normal weekly expenditure  on  food.  The
additional cost would be about £0.7 million for people injured and £1.3 for people
with an illness.

-  Reduction in expenditure on travel to work: it is assumed average daily costs
of  £1.40  for  that,  i.e.  a  £33.1  million  saving.  Weekly  and  season  tickets  will
reduce this, but for some there may be extra costs for a while after they return to
work (e.g. for those who normally walk or cycle).

- Page 41- 

(cid:1)

-  Human  costs:  putting  a  value  on  ‘subjective’  costs  is  much  more  difficult.  It  is
sometimes  suggested  that  court  compensation  awards  can  provide  a  possible
measure of such losses. However, there are serious limitations to relying on court
awards  as  a  measure  of  welfare  loss  to  individuals.  These  limitations  are  most
obvious  in  the  case  of  death  where  compensation  awards  cover  only  financial
losses  to  dependants  with  a  token  supplement  for  the  distress  suffered  by  the
family of the deceased. Economists have sought to obtain values for the cost of
fatal and non-fatal injury to individuals based on what people are willing to pay to
reduce their risk of being killed or injured, or what they are willing to accept for a
small increase in such risks.

-  Costs of maintaining output: the extra cost of maintaining output is partly offset
by savings in payments to the absentee, the extent of which will depend on sick
pay  arrangements.  The  assumption  is  that  the  costs  of  maintaining  output  are
equal  to  the  normal  cost  of  employing  the  absent  worker,  the  result  is  that,  on
average, the net financial cost of absence is equal to the amount paid in sick pay
by the employer (plus any administration costs).

-  Sick pay: In addition to the wage paid, the cost to the employer of hiring a worker
includes  non-wage  labour  costs.  Information  on  non-wage  labour  costs  is
available from the 1992 Labour Costs Survey (LCS), from which a 27% mark-up
due to non-wage labour costs can be derived, on average. This figure has been
used for the region and occupation breakdowns, and each industry’s  own mark-
up in the industry breakdown where possible. Mark-ups vary from 18% in hotels
and  restaurants,  to  36%  in  finance  and  business  industry.  Assumption  is  that
non-wage  labour  costs  are  reduced  proportionally  when  absentees  receive  part
pay and are negligible when there is no sick pay;

-  Administration:  the  employer  also  incurs  an  administrative  cost  in  dealing  with
the absence,  such  as  the  calculation  and  payment  of  SSP  (Statutory  Sick  pay),
collection  and  processing  of  sick  notes,  possibly  extra  management  time  in
rescheduling, etc. It is assumed that this takes, on average, about half an hour of
an accounts and wages clerk’s time per day of absence. Based upon NES data
for this occupation plus non-wage labour costs, this is estimated to cost £4.25 per
day. It should be noted that, to the extent that some of these costs are relatively
fixed, they  would  not  be  reduced  proportionally  by  a  reduction  in  the  number  of
work-related  injuries  and  illness,  since  these  account  for  a  relatively  small
proportion of total absences.

-  Recruitment: it is assumed that  all employees leaving are replaced,  which may
be  an  overestimate.  However,  offsetting  this,  it  has  been  taken  no  account  of
recruitment brought forward as a response to long absences, or of injured people
who have to move to a different job within the same organisation. The extent of
the cost of recruitment is uncertain and varies for different firms. Nevertheless, a
national  survey  of  labour  turnover  carried  out  by  the  Institute  for  Personnel
development  provides  average  turnover  costs  (per  leaver),  as  reported  by
employers. For those who have to change job within the same organisation, it is
assumed 60% of recruitment costs, to exclude leaving costs.

-  Damage  associated  with  workplace  injuries:  in  the  APAU  case  studies,  the
average  cost  of  damage  in  the  injury  events  was  very  much  less  than  the
average  for  non-injury  events,  because  a  large  proportion  of  the  injuries  were
caused by slips, falls or lifting,  which  involve  little  damage.  The  average  cost  of
damage,  once  the  costs  of  recovering  production  and  replacing  labour  are
excluded ranged from less than £1.20 to %3.60 (in 1995/96 prices). However, the
injuries  recorded  in  the  case  studies  cannot  be  considered  representative  of

- Page 42- 

those  in  the  LFS,  since  almost  all  in  the  case  studies  were  minor  and  not
reportable.

(cid:1)

The following types of accidents are considered

- 

a work accident is defined as ‘any unplanned event that resulted in injury or  ill
heath  of  people,  or  damage  or  loss  to  property,  plant,  materials  or  the
environment or a loss of business opportunity’.

- 

A  work-related  ill  health  is  defined  as  ‘any  illness,  disability  or  other  physical

problem that was caused or made worse by one’s work’.

- Page 43- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 4:

FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE COMPANIES

- Page 44- 

(cid:1)

Dear Sir/Madam,

The  Statistical  Office  of  the  European  Communities  has
started  a  project  aiming  to  analyse  statistically  the  cost  of  accidents  at
work. The objective is to be able to better evaluate, target and control the
European policies of prevention of accidents at work.

to 

The  attached  questionnaire  aims 

increase  our  knowledge
concerning the costs accidents at work cause to companies. The analysis
of the answers to this questionnaire forms part of one of the first essential
phases  of  the  study.  The  following  stages  will  study  the  costs  for  the
individuals  and for  the  society.  The  ultimate  objective  of  the  project  is  to
set  up  European  measures  fulfilling  the  needs  of  each  party  (victims,
company and society).

We  hope  that  you  as  an  expert  having  knowledge  of  the  costs  of
accidents  at  work  for  your  company,  could  help  us  by  answering  the
questionnaire. We collect information on the following topics:

-  The characteristics of your company,
-  The characteristics of the most recent accident at work or another

accident at work that you now well in your company,

-  General  information  concerning  the  costs  of  accidents  at  work  in

your company,

-  Possible  studies  undertaken  within  your  company/group  to  study

the cost of accidents at work.

The  results  obtained  will  be  used  to  set  up  a  model  to  estimate  the

costs of accidents at work.

We will take into account the confidential nature of your information. In
order to guarantee the confidentiality of your information, Eurostat and the
contracting  company  associated  with  this  project  commit  themselves  to
setting up safeguard procedures for the anonymity of your data. Access to
confidential information will be limited to only persons directly involved in
the  project.  The  publication  of  results  will  meticulously  be  checked  in
order to avoid any disclosure of confidential information10,11.

10 Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community Statistics - Official Journal L 052 ,
22/02/1997 P. 0001 - 0007

11 Council Regulation (Euratom, EEC) No 1588/90 of 11 June 1990 on the transmission of data subject to
statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities - Official Journal L 151 ,
15/06/1990 P. 0001 - 0004

- Page 45- 

                                                
(cid:1)

We  would  be  grateful  to  you,  as  far  as  possible,  for  forwarding  your
answers  before  the  31st  of  August  to  Ariane  II  to  the  person  mentioned
below.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this survey.

Best regards

INSTITUTION AND PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT

[ National institute ]
Please specify

EUROSTAT:
Didier DUPRE,  didier.dupre@cec.eu.int
Antti Karjalainen,  antti.karjalainen@cec.eu.int

ARIANE II:
Anne-valérie RENAUD,  Anne-valerie.renaud@arianeii.com
10a zone de Bourmicht - L-8070 Bertrange - Luxembourg  –
+ 352 31.44.01.255

- Page 46- 

                                                                                                                                          
(cid:1)

Document:
questionnaire_Eurostat_enterpises_V2.2_EN.doc

QUESTIONNAIRE

COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK FOR THE COMPANY

This  questionnaire  constitutes  one  of  the  first  phases  of  the  project.  It  is  probable  that
the replies  to  certain  questions require  additional  clarification  in  order  to  be  interpreted
correctly.  With  a  view  to  having  more  detailed  information,  it  is  possible  that  we  would
like  to  have  direct  contacts  with  you.  Therefore  we  kindly  ask  you  to  provide  us  the
following information:

Group:

Company:

Miss 

        Madam 

        Mr 

Name:

Function:

Telephone:

E-mail:

Address:

Country:

Periods or moments of the day
during which you would prefer being
contacted:

- Page 47- 

(cid:1)

1.  Characteristics of your company

The  costs  of  accidents  at  work  vary  between  companies  and  according  to  their  sector  of
activity  or  their  size.  Costs  also  vary  in  function  of  production  costs  of  the  companies,  the
value  of  their  machinery,  of  their  equipment  or  of  other  aspects  of  this  type.  Within  the
framework of the identification of the costs according to the types of accident, it is essential to
take  into  account  these  characteristics  of  your  company.  The  first  part  of  the  questionnaire
aims to acquire this type of information.

1.1  What is the sector of activity of the local unit 12 of your company?

Agriculture, hunting and forestry 

Fishing 

Mining and quarrying 

Manufacturing 

Electricity, gas and water supply 

Construction 

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles

and personal and household goods 

Hotels and restaurants 

Transport, storage and communication 

Financial intermediation 

Real estate, renting and business activities 

Public administration and defense 

Education 

Health and social work 

Other community, social and personal service activities 

Private households with employed persons 

Extra-territorial organisations and bodies 

12  The local unit to be considered is a geographically identified location where the job is mainly carried out or
is based. If a person works at several places or in residence, the local unit is the place from where instructions
emanate or from where the work is organised.

- Page 48- 

                                                
(cid:1)

1.2  What is the size of the local unit13 of your company?

0 employee14
1-9 employees15
10-49 employees15
50-249 employees15
250-499 employees15
500 employees or more15

Size not exactly known but less than 10 employees

Size not exactly known but more than 9 employees

Unknown size

1.3  If you are a manufacturing company, what are your average production costs

by hour16?

1.4  What is your turnover for the year 2002?

1.5  What is your gross profit margin for the year 2002?

1.6  In your opinion, which is approximately the total price of your equipment?

1.7  What is the average age of your equipment?

13  The local unit to be considered is a geographically identified location where the job is mainly carried out or
is based. If a person works at several places or in residence, the local unit is the place from where instructions
emanate or from where the work is organised.
14 Self-employed person without salaried
15 Full-time equivalent
16 Please include direct costs (labour costs, equipment and raw material) associated direct costs and indirect
costs (administrative costs)

- Page 49- 

          
          
          
          
          
                                                
(cid:1)

2.  Characteristics and costs of the most recent accident at work or the

one that you know best in your company

In order to perform a reliable analysis of the costs of accidents at work, it is essential to know
the characteristics of these accidents. The aim of this part is to describe an event, recent or
known in your company, having had as a consequence one or more accidents at work. This
also  involves  detailing  all  the  consequences  of  this  event  while  stressing  in  particular  the
accident at work. Lastly, this part of the questionnaire aims to consider the costs generated by
this  incident.  From  the  estimates  of  costs  obtained,  it  will  be  easier  to  target  the  European
prevention policies on the types of most expensive accidents.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EVENT HAVING HAD AS A CONSEQUENCE ONE

OR MORE ACCIDENTS AT WORK

2.1  Please describe here with your own words a recent event (or one that you know
well) having had as a consequence one or more accidents at work in your
company?

2.2  Where did the accident at work take place?

Place of the accident

Usual workstation or within the usual local unit of work
Occasional or mobile workstation or in a journey on behalf of the employer
Another workstation to be specified:

Tick the box
corresponding to
the situation

- Page 50- 

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to
the situation

2.3  What were the circumstances 17 associated with the accident?

Circumstances of the accident

Buildings, structures, surfaces  – at ground or floor level (indoor or outdoor,
fixed or mobile, temporary or not)  (ex: slip, falls at ground level, stepping on
an object)
Buildings, structures, surfaces  – above or below ground or floor level (indoor
or outdoor)  (ex: falls from height, falling in stairs)
Systems for the supply and distribution of materials, pipe networks  (ex: fixed
or mobile gas, air, liquid, or solid agent supply systems, sewers, drains)
Motors, systems for energy transmission and storage  (ex:power generators,
mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric energy suppliers, batteries,
accumulators )
Handtools  (ex: sawing or drilling handtools, painting tools, kitchen tools,
surgical tools, cleaning tools, welding tools, sewing tools)
Machines and equipment - portable or mobile, not handtools (ex: portable or
mobile machines in construction, agriculture, mining, floor cleaning
machines)
Machines and equipment – fixed, not handtools (ex: machines of chemical
processes, ovens, driers, refrigerators, pressing or crushing machines,
grinding, drilling, polishing, cutting  machines, packing machines )
Conveying, transport and storage systems  (ex: conveyors, cableways,
elevators, cranes, trucks, containers, silos, shelving, pallet racks)
Land vehicles  (ex: road accident, light vehicles powered or not, roller
skates)
Other transport vehicles  (ex: air crash, suspended rails, sea vehicles)
Materials, objects, products, machine components, debris, dust (ex:building
materials, stored products, loads, farm or breeding products)
Chemical, explosive, radioactive, biological substances  (ex: contact with
dangerous substances)
Safety devices and equipment  (ex: safety devices for machines or
individuals, emergency devices)
Office equipment, personal equipment, sport equipment, weapons, domestic
appliances  (ex: furniture, office equipment, clothing, music instruments,
weapons)
Living organisms and human beings  (ex: trees, plants, animals, puncture by
an insect, micro-organisms, kick, throttling)
Bulk waste  (ex: bulk waste from raw materials, products, chemicals, plants,
animals)
Physical phenomena and element  (ex: noise, natural radiation, light rain,
snow, natural disasters)
Other material agents not listed in this classification to be specified:

17  the circumstances of the accident describe the tool, the object, the instrument or circumstances connected
with the cause of the accident

- Page 51- 

                                                
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT AT WORK

(cid:1)

2.4  How many people were victims of an accident at work following this event?

If  the  event  led  to  several  accidents,  please  specify  in  the  following  questions  the
characteristics specific to the victim most severely injured.

2.5  What was the age of the victim at the time of the accident?

Tick the box corresponding to the situation

Age groups
0–17 years
18–24 years
25-34 years
35-44 years
45-54 years
55-64 years
65 years or more
Age unknown

2.6  What was the sex of the victim?

Sex
Man
Woman

Tick the box corresponding to the situation

- Page 52- 

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to
the situation

2.7  What was the occupation of the victim at the time of the accident?

Occupations

Legislators, senior officials and managers (ex: Permanent secretary, senior
official, mayor, director and chief executive)

Professionals  (ex: Physicist, mathematician, architect, biologist, doctor,
nursing and midwifery professional, teaching professional, accountant, lawyer,
economist)

Technicians and associate professionals  (ex technician, computer associate
professional, photographer, midwifery associate professional, teaching
associate professional, insurance representatives, estate agent, travel
consultant and organizer)

Clerks  (ex: secretary and key-board operating clerk, accounting and book
keeping clerk, stock clerk)

Service workers and shop and market sales workers  (ex: travel attendant,
travel steward, travel guide, cook, child care worker, personal care,
hairdresser, fire-fighter, police officer, prison guard, model, salesperson,
demonstrator)

Skilled agricultural and fishery workers

Craft and related trades workers  (ex: miner, quarry worker, stone splitter,
builder, carpenter, bricklayer, roofer, glazier, plumber, painter and related
worker, metal moulder and coremaker, compositor, butcher, baker, sewer,
wood treater)

Plant and machine operators and assemblers  (ex: mining plant operator,
metal drawer and extruder, papermaking-plant operator, industrial robot
operator, machine-tool operator, electrical-equipment assembler, locomotive
engine driver, bus and tram driver, heavy truck and lorry driver, motorized farm
and forestry plant operator, ships’ deck crew and related worker)

Elementary occupations, non-skilled labourers  (ex: street vendor, door-to-door
and telephone salesperson, agricultural, fishery and related labourer, mining
and quarrying labourer, manufacturing labourer, transport labourer and freight
handler)

Armed forces

Other to be specified:

- Page 53- 

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding
to the situation

Tick the box corresponding to
the situation

2.8  What was the type of the injury?

Type of the injury

Wounds and superficial injuries
Bone fractures
Dislocations, sprains and strains
Traumatic amputations (loss of body parts)
Concussions and internal injuries
Burns, scalds and frostbites
Poisonings and infections
Drowning and asphyxiations
Effects of sound, vibration and pressure
Effects of temperature extremes, light and radiation
Shocks
Multiple injuries18
Other to be specified:

2.9  What was the injured body part?

Body part

Head
Neck, including spine and vertebra in the neck
Back, including spine and vertebra in the back
Torso and organs
Upper limbs
Lower limbs
Whole body and multiple sites19
Other location to be specified:

18 When several parts of the body or several injuries are concerned, it is advisable to give the body part of the
most serious lesion: for example, amputation precedes the fracture, which precedes the wound, etc. When it
is not possible to indicate the main part of body injured, one can use "multiple sites" code.

19 In cases where several parts of the body have been injured, the site which has been most seriously injured
should be chosen e.g. an amputation precedes bone fracture, which precedes wounds etc. In other cases a
code for multiple sites should be used at the appropriate level of the classification. In cases where larger parts
of the body have been affected, e.g. injuries caused by burns or skalds, a code for multiple sites should be
used as well.

- Page 54- 

                                                
(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to the
situation

2.10 During how many days 20 did the victim stay out of work?

Number of days

Less than 1 day
1 to 3 days
4 to 6 days
7 to 13 days
14 to 20 days
From 21 days to 1 month
From 1 to 3 months
From 3 to 6 months
Permanent incapacity (to work) or 183 days or more lost (6 months’
absence or more)
Fatal accident

2.11 Could you describe in a few words the other consequences of this event (for

example damage to the equipment, buildings or products)?

20  The number of days without working refers to the number of calendar days of  work incapacity of the victim
following an accident at work including Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays.

- Page 55- 

                                                
ESTIMATE OF THE COSTS GENERATED BY THIS EVENT

(cid:1)

2.12 In the following table, please estimate in Euro, the various costs generated by

this event. If you are not in a position to specify these costs in Euro, please
use the unit which you think is appropriate and specify it below:

Total value

Value refunded by
insurance

Unit (if other than Euro):

Types of costs

Material damage (i.e. products and raw materials
destroyed at the time of the accident)
Damage of the structures (i.e. machines, equipment,
buildings, vehicles destroyed at the time of the
accident)
Repair costs
Rental costs of temporary equipment, machines,
buildings or vehicles
Production losses due to cessation or slow down of
production
Replacement of persons:
- Extra salary costs
Replacement of persons:
- Costs of training and adaptation of a new worker
Loss of customers or orders
Court expenses
Administrative costs (expenses to facilitate the return to
work, costs of reporting the accident, costs of
reorganising the production after the accident)
Loss in terms of image
Other costs, specify please:

2.13 Comments:

- Page 56- 

(cid:1)

3.  General information concerning the costs of accidents at work in

your company

This part  of the questionnaire  aims  to  identify  the  types  of  accidents  and  the  types  of  costs
which we should pay  attention to. The objective here is to acquire  overall information  for  all
the accidents at work and all the costs associated for each company.

3.1  What are, according to you, the most important costs of accidents at work in

your company? (Mark in the decreasing order of importance, 1 = the most
important, 2 = the second most important, etc.)

Order

Types of costs
Material damage (i.e. products and raw materials destroyed at the time of the
accident)
Damage of the structures (i.e. machines, equipment, buildings, vehicles destroyed
at the time of the accident)
Repair costs
Rental costs of temporary equipment, machines, buildings or vehicles
Production losses due to cessation or slow down of production
Replacement of persons:
- Extra salary costs
Replacement of persons:
- Costs of training and adaptation of a new worker
Loss of customers or orders
Court expenses
Administrative costs (expenses to facilitate the return to work, costs of reporting the
accident, costs of reorganising the production after the accident)
Loss in terms of image
Other costs, specify please:

3.2  What are, according to you, the costs of the accidents at work, not mentioned

in the previous table, which your company has also experienced? What is their
order of importance?

- Page 57- 

(cid:1)

3.3  What are, according to you, the accidents at work which are the most

expensive ones for the company according to the circumstances of the
accident (Mark in the decreasing order of importance, 1 = the most important,
2 = the second most important, etc.)?

Importance order

Circumstances of the accident
Buildings, structures, surfaces  – at ground or floor level (indoor or
outdoor, fixed or mobile, temporary or not)  (ex: slip, falls at ground
level, stepping on an object)
Buildings, structures, surfaces  – above or below ground or floor level
(indoor or outdoor)  (ex: falls from height, falling in stairs)
Systems for the supply and distribution of materials, pipe networks  (ex:
fixed or mobile gas, air, liquid, or solid agent supply systems, sewers,
drains)
Motors, systems for energy transmission and storage  (ex: power
generators, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric energy
suppliers, batteries, accumulators )
Handtools  (ex: sawing or drilling handtools, painting tools, kitchen
tools, surgical tools, cleaning tools, welding tools, sewing tools)
Machines and equipment - portable or mobile, not handtools (ex:
portable or mobile machines in construction, agriculture, mining, floor
cleaning machines)
Machines and equipment – fixed, not handtools (ex: machines of
chemical processes, ovens, driers, refrigerators, pressing or crushing
machines, grinding, drilling, polishing, cutting  machines, packing
machines )
Conveying, transport and storage systems  (ex: conveyors, cableways,
elevators, cranes, trucks, containers, silos, shelving, pallet racks)
Land vehicles  (ex: road accident, light vehicles powered or not, roller
skates)
Other transport vehicles  (ex: air crash, suspended rails, sea vehicles)
Materials, objects, products, machine components, debris, dust  (ex:
building materials, stored products, loads, farm or breeding products)
Chemical, explosive, radioactive, biological substances  (ex: contact
with dangerous substances)
Safety devices and equipment  (ex: safety devices for machines or
individuals, emergency devices)
Office equipment, personal equipment, sport equipment, weapons,
domestic appliances  (ex: furniture, office equipment, clothing, music
instruments, weapons)
Living organisms and human beings  (ex: trees, plants, animals,
puncture by an insect, micro-organisms, kick, throttling)
Bulk waste  (ex: bulk waste from raw materials, products, chemicals,
plants, animals)
Physical phenomena and element  (ex: noise, natural radiation, light
rain, snow, natural disasters)
Other material agents not listed in this classification to be specified:

- Page 58- 

Comments:

(cid:1)

3.4  What are, according to you, the other factors having a significant impact on the

cost of the accidents at work?

- Page 59- 

(cid:1)

4.  Possible studies undertaken in your company/group on the costs of

the accidents at work

The cost of the accidents at work for the company is an actual issue. The accidents at work
can  have  important  effects  on  the  performances  of  the  companies.  Many  companies  have
became  aware  of  this  and  have  set  up  studies  in  order  to  be  able  better  to  quantify  the
consequences of accidents at work and to prevent the subsequent costs. The aim of this part
of the questionnaire is to obtain information on this subject.

4.1  Has your company already undertaken studies on the cost of the accidents at

work?

Yes 

No

If no, pass to the question 4.7

4.2  Did this (these) study(ies) cover(s) all types of accidents at work?

Yes 

No 

If no, what types of accidents at work did it cover?

4.3  Did this (or these) study (ies) cover(s) all the costs of the accidents at work?

Yes 

No 

If no, what types of costs did it cover?

4.4  What are the main results obtained from this (or these) study (ies)?

4.5  Do you have a report of this (or these) study (ies)?

Yes 

No

- Page 60- 

If so, we would be particularly grateful if you could attach this report or parts of
it when you send back your filled questionnaire to us21.

(cid:1)

4.6  Did you set up measures based on to these results?

Yes 

If so,

No 

- What are these measures?

- Did you observe progress in terms of limitation of the costs?

-  Would you be able to quantify these improvements below (in Euro)?

4.7  Does your company have a regular control system for the cost of the accidents

at work?

Yes 

No 

4.8  How much human resources (in man-months per year) does your company

allocate for the prevention of the accidents to work?

21  Access to the documents and information that you will provide us will be limited to persons directly involved
in the project. Methodology, the results and comments of your studies will not be disseminated (except if
contrary indication from you).

- Page 61- 

                                                
(cid:1)

5.  Your opinion interests us

Analyzing the costs of the accidents at work requires the contribution of all and we are aware
of  it.  If  you  have  remarks,  opinions  or  an  advice  which  you  think  would  be  useful  for  us  in
conducting our study, do not hesitate to inform us of it in this part of the questionnaire:

- Page 62- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 5:

FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE VICTIMS

- Page 63- 

(cid:1)

Dear Sir/Madam,

The  Statistical  Office  of  the  European  Communities  has
started  a  project  aiming  to  analyze  statistically  the  cost  of  accidents  at
work. The objective is to be able to better evaluate, target and control the
European policies of prevention of accidents at work.

The  attached  questionnaire  aims 

increase  our  knowledge
concerning  the  costs  that  accidents  at  work  can  cause  to  the  victims.  It
forms part of one of the first phases of the study. The ultimate objective of
the project is to set up European measures fulfilling the needs of each of
the parties involved (victims, society and companies).

to 

As  a  person  having  undergone  an  accident  at  work,  we  would
appreciate  to  know  your  experiences  on  the  costs  of  accidents  at  work.
For  this  reason,  we  kindly  ask  you  to  answer  the  questionnaire.  For  our
study it is important to collect information on the following topics:

-  The characteristics and circumstances of your accident,
-  The direct financial costs the accident caused to you,
-  The costs in terms of quality of life.
The results obtained will be used to set up a model to estimate of the

costs of accidents at work.

According  to  Article  8  –  rights  concerning  privacy  and  family  life    -  of
the European Convention of Human rights, any person is entitled to rights
in respect of her private and family life. Therefore your participation in this
questionnaire  survey  is  voluntary.  As  we  believe  that  your  experience
would  be  useful  for  the  improvement  of  the  current  situation 
in
occupational  safety  and  health,  we  sincerely  hope  that  you  would
participate.  We  will  take  into  account  the  confidential  nature  of  your
information.  In  order  to  guarantee  the  confidentiality  of  your  information,
Eurostat  and  the  contracting  company  performing  the  study  (Ariane  II)
commit themselves to setting up safeguard procedures for the anonymity
of  your  data22,23.  Access  to  confidential  information  will  be  limited  to

22 Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community Statistics - Official Journal L 052 ,
22/02/1997 P. 0001 - 0007

23 Council Regulation (Euratom, EEC) No 1588/90 of 11 June 1990 on the transmission of data subject to
statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities - Official Journal L 151 ,
15/06/1990 P. 0001 - 0004

- Page 64- 

                                                
(cid:1)

persons  directly  involved  in  the  project.  The  publication  of  results  will
meticulously  be  checked  in  order  to  avoid  any  disclosure  of  confidential
information.

We would be grateful to you if you could forward your answers before
[…  ]  to  […  ]  using  the  attached  prepaid  envelopes.  The  answers  to  the
questionnaires  will  then  be transmitted to  Ariane  II to  the  contact  person
mentioned below.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Best regards

INSTITUTIONS  AND PEOPLE  IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT

[ National institute ]
Please specify

EUROSTAT:
Didier DUPRE,  didier.dupre@cec.eu.int
Antti Karjalainen,  antti.karjalainen@cec.eu.int

ARIANE II GROUPS TRANSICIEL:
Anne-valérie RENAUD,  Anne-valerie.renaud@arianeii.com
10a, zone d’activité de Bourmicht - L-8070 Bertrange  –
+ 352 31.44.01.255

- Page 65- 

                                                                                                                                          
(cid:1)

Document:  questionnaire_Eurostat__individus_-V2.2-EN.doc

QUESTIONNAIRE

COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK FOR THE INDIVIDUALS

This  questionnaire  constitutes  one  of  the  first  phases  of  the  project.  There  is  not
much  information  on  costs  of  accidents  at  work  for  victims.  It  is  possible  that  the
answers to certain questions require additional clarification in order to be interpreted
correctly. With a view to having more detailed information, it is possible that we would
like to have direct contacts with you.

Would you accept that we later contact you directly?

Yes 

No 

If yes, please specify your details below:

If, you don’t want us to contact you, please start to answer only from the next page

Your identity:

Miss 

        Madam 

        Mr 

Name:

First name:

Telephone:

Address:

Country:

Period or moments of the day during
which you would prefer being
contacted

- Page 66- 

(cid:1)

1.  Information on your most recent accident at work

For  a  reliable  analysis  of  the  costs  of  the  accidents  at  work,  it  is  essential  to  know  the
characteristics  of  each  accident.  The  aim  of  this  first  part  is  to  describe  the  details  of  your
most recent accident at work.

1.1  What is your gender:

Man 

Woman 

1.2  What is your age?

Age
0-17 years
18-24 years
25-34 years
35-44 years
45-54 years
55-64 years
65 years or more

Tick the box corresponding to your situation

1.3  Please explain in a few words your work and tasks in the job that you held at

the time of the accident:

1.4  Please specify the year of the accident?

- Page 67- 

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to
your situation

1.5  What was your occupation at the time of the accident?

Occupations

Legislators, senior officials and managers (ex: Permanent secretary, senior
official, mayor, director and chief executive)

Professionals  (ex: Physicist, mathematician, architect, biologist, doctor,
nursing and midwifery professional, teaching professional, accountant, lawyer,
economist)

Technicians and associate professionals  (ex: technician, computer associate
professional, photographer, midwifery associate professional, teaching
associate professional, insurance representatives, estate agent, travel
consultant and organizer)

Clerks  (ex: secretary and key-board operating clerk, accounting and book
keeping clerk, stock clerk)

Service workers and shop and market sales workers  (ex: travel attendant,
travel steward, travel guide, cook, child care worker, personal care,
hairdresser, fire-fighter, police officer, prison guard, model, salesperson,
demonstrator)

Skilled agricultural and fishery workers

Craft and related trades workers  (ex: miner, quarry worker, stone splitter,
builder, carpenter, bricklayer, roofer, glazier, plumber, painter and related
worker, metal moulder and coremaker, compositor, butcher, baker, sewer,
wood treater)

Plant and machine operators and assemblers  (ex: mining plant operator,
metal drawer and extruder, papermaking-plant operator, industrial robot
operator, machine-tool operator, electrical-equipment assembler, locomotive
engine driver, bus and tram driver, heavy truck and lorry driver, motorized farm
and forestry plant operator, ships’ deck crew and related worker)

Elementary occupations, non-skilled (ex: street vendor, door-to-door and
telephone salesperson, agricultural, fishery and related labourer, mining and
quarrying labourer, manufacturing labourer, transport labourer and freight
handler)

Armed forces

Other, please specify:

- Page 68- 

1.6  What was the economic activity of the local unit24  where you worked in the

company at the time of the accident?

(cid:1)

Agriculture, hunting and forestry 

Fishing 

Mining and quarrying 

Manufacturing 

Electricity, gas and water supply 

Construction 

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles

and personal and household goods 

Hotels and restaurants 

Transport, storage and communication 

Financial intermediation 

Real estate, renting and business activities 

Public administration and defence 

Education 

Health and social work 

Other community, social and personal service activities 

Private households with employed persons 

Extra-territorial organisations and bodies 

1.7  What was the size of the local unit of the company25 at the time of the accident?

0 employee s26
1-9 employees 27

10-49 employees 27

50-249 employees 27

250-499 employees 27

500 employees or more 27

Size not exactly known but less than 10 employees 

Size not exactly known but more than 9 employees

Unknown size 

24  This involves the "economic" principal activity of the local unit of the company in which you worked. The
local unit to be taken into account is a topographically identified place where the activity is mainly carried out
or is based. If you work at several places or in residence, the local unit is the place from which you received
the instructions or work was organised.
25Specify as far as possible the true interval. If you do not know this information, please specify at least if the
size were strictly smaller than or then higher than 9.
26  Self-employed persons without employees
27  Equivalent of full-time employment

- Page 69- 

                                                
1.8  Please describe here with your own words the event which had as a

consequence your accident at work?

(cid:1)

1.9  What was the type of your injury?

Type of the injury

Wounds and superficial injuries
Bone fractures
Dislocations, sprains and strains
Traumatic amputations (loss of body parts)
Concussions and internal injuries
Burns, scalds and frostibites
Poisonings and infections
Drownings and asphyxiations
Effects of sound, vibration and pressure
Effects of temperature extremes, light and radiation
Shocks
Multiple injuries28
Other, please specify:

1.10 What was the location of your injury?

Location of the injury

Head
Neck, including spine and vertebra in the neck
Back, including spine and vertebra in the back
Torso and organs
Upper limbs
Lower limbs
Whole body or multiple sites29
Other, please specify:

Tick the box
corresponding to
your situation

Tick the box corresponding
to your situation

28 When several parts of the body or several injuries are concerned, it is advisable to give the body part of the
most serious lesion: for example, amputation precedes the fracture, which precedes the wound, etc. When it
is not possible to indicate the main part of body injured, one can use "multiple sites" code.

29 In cases where several parts of the body have been injured, the site which has been most seriously injured
should be chosen e.g. an amputation precedes bone fracture, which precedes wounds etc. In other cases a
code for multiple sites should be used at the appropriate level of the classification. In cases where larger parts
of the body have been affected, e.g. injuries caused by burns or skalds, a code for multiple sites should be
used as well.

- Page 70- 

                                                
1.11 Where did the accident take place?

Place of the accident

Usual workstation or within the usual local unit of work
Occasional or mobile workstation or in a journey on behalf of the employer
Another workstation to be specified:

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to
your situation

- Page 71- 

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to
the situation

1.12 What were the circumstances 30 associated with your accident?

Circumstance of the accident

Buildings, structures, surfaces  – at ground or floor level (indoor or outdoor,
fixed or mobile, temporary or not)  (ex: slip, falls at ground level, stepping on
an object)
Buildings, structures, surfaces  – above or below ground or floor level (indoor
or outdoor)  (ex: falls from height, falling in stairs)
Systems for the supply and distribution of materials, pipe networks  (ex: fixed
or mobile gas, air, liquid, or solid agent supply systems, sewers, drains )
Motors, systems for energy transmission and storage  (ex:power generators,
mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric energy suppliers, batteries,
accumulators )
Handtools  (ex: sawing or drilling handtools, painting tools, kitchen tools,
surgical tools, cleaning tools, welding tools, sewing tools)
Machines and equipment - portable or mobile, not handtools (ex: portable or
mobile machines in construction, agriculture, mining, floor cleaning
machines)
Machines and equipment – fixed, not handtools (ex: machines of chemical
processes, ovens, driers, refrigerators, pressing or crushing machines,
grinding, drilling, polishing, cutting  machines, packing machines )
Conveying, transport and storage systems  (ex: conveyors, cableways,
elevators, cranes, trucks, containers, silos, shelving, pallet racks)
Land vehicles  (ex: road accident, light vehicles powered or not, roller
skates)
Other transport vehicles  (ex: air crash, suspended rails, sea vehicles)
Materials, objects, products, machine components, debris, dust  (ex: building
materials, stored products, loads, farm or breeding products)
Chemical, explosive, radioactive, biological substances  (ex: contact with
dangerous substances)
Safety devices and equipment  (ex: safety devices for machines or
individuals, emergency devices)
Office equipment, personal equipment, sport equipment, weapons, domestic
appliances  (ex: furniture, office equipment, clothing, music instruments,
weapons)
Living organisms and human beings  (ex: trees, plants, animals, puncture by
an insect, micro-organisms, kick, throttling)
Bulk waste  (ex: bulk waste from raw materials, products, chemicals, plants,
animals)
Physical phenomena and element  (ex: noise, natural radiation, light rain,
snow, natural disasters)
Other material agents not listed in this classification to be specified:

30 the circumstances of the accident describe the tool, the object, the instrument or circumstances connected
with the cause of the accident

- Page 72- 

                                                
1.13 During how many days 31 did you stay out of work because of the accident?

(cid:1)

Tick the box
corresponding to
your situation

Number of days

Less than 1 day
1 to 3 days
4 to 6 days
7 to 13 days
14 to 20 days
From 21 days to 1 month
From 1 to 3 months
From 3 to 6 months
Permanent disability (of work) or at least 183 days (6 months)

31 The number of days without working refers to the number of calendar days of  work incapacity of the victim
following an accident at work including Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays.

- Page 73- 

                                                
(cid:1)

2.  Financial costs of your accident at work

This  part  of  the  questionnaire  aims  to  quantify  the  financial  costs  of  your  accident  at  work.
The  questions  address  only  costs  that  you  had  to  pay  yourself  or  your  personal  losses  of
income  which  were  due  to  the  accident.  We  would  ask  you  not  to  include  costs  that  were
compensated  to  you  by  a  medical  institution,  by  public  (i.e.  Social  Security)  or  private
insurance, by your employer or another institution. The questions that follow refer primarily to
the health care costs and to those specific to your professional life.

We  ask  you  to  express  the  costs  in  Euros.  If  you  would  like  to  give  them  in  some  other
monetary unit, please specify below the unit which you use. As far as possible please express
your costs in the same monetary unit throughout the questionnaire.

Unit (other than Euro):

2.1  Following this accident, did you have health care costs that were not refunded

to you?

Yes 

No 

If so, what were the costs?

2.2  Following your accident, were you obliged to visit a rehabilitation centre owing

to your disability?

Yes 

No 

If so, what were the costs (non-refunded)?

- Page 74- 

(cid:1)

2.3  Did you temporarily stop working or work less than usually because of your

accident?

Yes 

No

If so, for how long a time did you stop working or work less than usually?

How much would you estimate was your monthly loss of income due to this
cessation or reduction of work?

Did you receive financial compensation for that loss of income?

-  Total compensation 

-  Partial compensation 

-  No compensation 

2.4  Did you loose your job because of your accident?

Yes 

If so,

No

-  Did you remain unemployed because of your accident?

Yes 

No 

- 
- 

If so,
-  How long did you remain unemployed because of your accident?

-  What was your net monthly income in your old employment before

the accident?

If you do not wish to give exactly your old income, please provide an order of
magnitude:

Tick the corresponding box

Net monthly salary
Less than 900 Euros

Between 900 and 1200 Euros

Between 1200 and 1500 Euros

Between 1500 and 2000 Euros

Between 2000 and 3000 Euros

More than 3000 Euros

- Page 75- 

-  Did you receive any compensation for that loss of income?

(cid:1)

-  Total compensation 

-  Partial compensation

-  No compensation 

-  Have you found a new employment?

Yes 

No 

- 

If so,
-  How much less do you earn now than in your old job (If you earn

more than in your old job, please say it)?

2.5  Did you have to retire earlier than your normal retirement age because of your

accident?

Yes 

If so,

No 

-  At which age did you retire because of your accident?

-  How much less is your net monthly pension than was your net monthly

income in the job that you held before you had to retire?

- Page 76- 

 
(cid:1)

2.6  Has your accident had consequences on your career other than those

mentioned above?

Yes 

If so,

No

Please explain what are these consequences?

Do you think that it is relevant to express these consequences in terms
of monetary value?

Yes 

No 

If so, what would be the value of these losses in Euros 32?

2.7  Because of the accident at work, did you have costs (not refunded) due to legal

actions at court?

Yes 

No 

If so, what were the costs?

2.8  Because of the accident at work, did you have other financial costs (not

refunded)?

Yes 

No 

If so, which were the costs and how much were they?

32  If you have had legal actions to get compensation for these costs, you may give the value that was
estimated for these costs in that process

- Page 77- 

                                                
(cid:1)

3.  Costs in terms of quality of life changes due to your accident at work

Apart from the effects on your professional life and your work environment, your accident at
work probably had effects on other areas of your life as well. As we aim to estimate all costs
of accidents at work, we would like to know your experience on such consequences of your
accident  at  work.  These  consequences  are  not  necessarily  easy  to  estimate  in  financial
terms, but they may nevertheless have had an important impact on your quality of life.

3.1  Did your accident cause you any physical disability?

Yes 

If so,

No 

Please explain what kind of physical disability it caused?

Do you think that it is relevant to express financially such
consequences or at least a part of them?

Yes 

No 

If so, what would be your estimate in Euros for these

consequences33?

3.2  Did your accident have effects on your family life?

Yes 

If so,

No

Please explain what kind of effects it had?

Do you think that it is relevant to express financially such
consequences or at least a part of them?

Yes 

No 

If so, what would be your estimate in Euros for these

consequences33?

33 If you have had legal actions to get compensation for these costs, you may give the value that was
estimated for these costs in that process

- Page 78- 

                                                
(cid:1)

3.3  Did your accident have effects on your social life (other than family life)?

Yes 

If so,

No

Please explain what kind of effects it had?

Do you think that it is relevant to express financially such
consequences or at least a part of them?

Yes 

No 

If so, what would be your estimate in Euros for these

consequences 34?

3.4  Your accident most likely had consequences in terms of sorrow, suffering
and/or of pain. Do you think that it is relevant to express financially such
consequences or at least a part of them?

Yes 

No 

If so, what would be your estimate in Euros for these consequences34?

3.5  Did your accident have consequences in terms of time available?

Yes 

If so,

not 

Please explain what kind of effects it had?

Do you think that it is relevant to express financially such
consequences or at least a part of them?

Yes 

not 

If so, what would be your estimate in Euros for these

consequences34?

34 If you have had legal actions to get compensation for these costs, you may give the value that was
estimated for these costs in that process

- Page 79- 

                                                
(cid:1)

3.6  Did your accident have other consequences which you would like to mention?

Yes 

If so,

not 

Please explain what kind of effects it had?

Do you think that it is relevant to express financially such
consequences or at least a part of them?

Yes 

not 

If so, what would be your estimate in Euros for these

consequences 35?

35 If you have had legal actions to get compensation for these costs, you may give the value that was
estimated for these costs in that process

- Page 80- 

                                                
(cid:1)

4.  Your opinion interests us

A  reliable  and  exhaustive  analysis  of  the  costs  of  the  accidents  at  work  requires  all  the
possible contributions. If you have remarks, opinions or advice, which you consider useful to
us, we would appreciate them. Please write them down here:

- Page 81- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 6:

DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORETICAL MODEL FOR ESTIMATION OF
SOCIO-ECONOMIC COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK

- Page 82- 

(cid:1)

1.  Accidents  resulting  in  temporary  incapacity  to  work  (and  the  first  year  of

accidents with permanent incapacity to work)

1.1.  Labour cost

The labour costs were estimated by the number of accidents, the number of days lost

(ESAW) and the unit daily labour cost (New Cronos, Labour costs).

•••• LCT(i,n,m): Total labour costs of accidents with temporary incapacity

LCT

,(
mni
,

)

=

N

,(
mni
,

)

*

DLc

,(
mn

)

*

C

,(
mni
,

)

n: NACE
i: category of days lost
m: Member States
N: Number of accidents at work
C(i): Number of days lost (center of the each class I was used)
    is  the  daily  labour  cost  from  New  Cronos  database,  by  NACE  and
DLc(n,m)
Member State. As the ESAW  database  gives  the  days lost  as  calendar  days,
the  annual  value  from  New  Cronos  was  divided  by  366  (number  of  days  in
2000).

1.2.  Costs other than labour costs

The  proportion  of  accidents  with  costs  other  than  labour  costs  and  the  mean  ratio
between these other costs and the labour costs  were estimated based  on the questionnaire
information.
•••• R1(i): Proportion of accident with other cost than labour cost by category of
days lost

R

i
)(1

=

N

i
)(

AOC
N

i
)(

•••• R2(i): Mean ratio between all other costs and labour costs by category of days
lost

R

i
)(2

=

(cid:1)
(cid:1)

OC

i
)(

AOC
iLC
)(

LC: Labour  Costs due to the accident
N: Number of accidents at work
OC: costs other than labour costs
i: category of days lost

AOC refers to accidents with other costs > 0
Only accidents with other costs > 0 were taken into account in
Ratio2

- Page 83- 

The other costs were calculated by multiplying the labour costs of step 1.1 by the
ratios R1 and R2.

•••• OCTAOC (I,N,M): Costs other than labour cost

(cid:1)

OCT

=

LC

*

R
1

*

R
2

i
)(

)

)

i
)(

mni
,
,(

mni
,
,(

AOC
n: NACE
i: category of days lost
m: Member State
LC: Total labour costs estimated
R1: Proprotion of accidents with other cost than labour cost
R2: Mean ratio between other costs and labour costs
AOC means “accident with other cost than labour cost”

1.3. Total costs of accidents with temporary incapacity to work

TCT

+

=

,(
nmi
),

,(
nmi
),

OCT

LCT
i: catgeory of days lost
n: NACE
m: Member State
TCT: Total costs of accidents with temporary incapacity
LCT: Labour costs of accidents with temporary incapacity
OCT: Other costs of accidents with temporary incapacity

,(
nmi
),

2.  Accidents at work resulting in permanent incapacity to work

The  lost  labour  costs  were  estimated  from  the  number  of  accidents  and  age  of  the
victim (ESAW) as well as a theoretical age of retirement. For cases with permanent
partial incapacity to work only 15% of the labour costs were estimated while for cases
with  permanent  total  incapacity  to  work  the  loss  was  estimated  as  100%  (in  most
insurance systems the minimum level of incapacity to be assessed as  a  permanent
case is around 10% of incapacity). The numbers of permanent cases with total and
partial incapacity to work had to be estimated. Based on the LFS ad hoc module of
1999 it was assumed that 0.2% of all accidents lead to permanent total incapacity to
work, and the rest of the permanent cases in the ESAW database were assumed to
represent an average of 15% of incapacity.

•••• LPC: Labour cost for accidents with permanent incapacity

LCP

,(
nmc
),

=

*

*

*

,(
nmc
),

,(
nmc
),

,(
nmc
),

,(
nmc
),

IP

Yc

YLc

N
n: NACE
c: age category
m: Member State
N: Number of accidents
IP: the degree of permanent incapacity (15% and 100% were used)
YLc: the yearly labour cost from New Cronos
Yc:  lost  working  years  (age  of  retirement  (65  years)  minus    age  of  the
victim (center of age category was used)

- Page 84- 

(cid:1)

3. Fatal accidents at work

The lost labour costs were estimated from the number of accidents and age of the
victim (ESAW) as well as a theoretical age of retirement.

•••• LCF(a,n): Labour costs for Fatal accidents

=

*

,(
nmc
),

,(
),
nmc

Yc

YLc

LCF
n: NACE
c: age category
m: Member State
Yc : lost working years (age of retirement (65 years) minus  age of the victim
(center of age category was used))
YLc:  the Yearly Labour cost from New Cronos

),
nm

(

For the extreme age categories (0-14 years) and (65 year and more), the center of
the age category was not used for the age of the victim (14 years and 65 years were
used respectively).

4. Total costs of accidents at work

The  total  costs  of  accidents  at  work  were  calculated  as  the  sum  of  the  costs  of
temporary, permanent and fatal accidents at work.

•••• TC: Total costs of accidents at work

TC

(

),
nm

=

TCT

,(
nmi
),

+

LCP

(

),
nm

+

LCF

(

),
nm

n: NACE
m: Member State
TCT: Total costs of accidents at work with temporary incapacity
LCP: Labour costs of accidents at work with permanent incapacity
LCF: Labour costs of fatal accidents at work

- Page 85- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 7:

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES
FOR COMPANIES

- Page 86- 

Description  of 
the  company
the  distribution  of  answers  of 
questionnaires  by  background  variables,  duration  of  absence  and
existence / lack of costs

(cid:1)

Table 9: Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by economic activity (NACE) and duration of incapacity to
work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

Economic activity (NACE)

Agriculture, hunting and forestry

Fishing

Mining and quarrying

Manufacturing  Hotels and restaurants

Electricity, gas and water supply 

Construction
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicle, 
motorcycles and personal household goods

Hotels and restaurants

Transport, storage and communication

Financial intermediation

Real estate, renting and business activities

Public administration and defense

Education

Health and social work

Other community, social and personal service activities

Private household with employed persons

Extra-territorial organisations and bodies

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

11

1

1

133

6

64

32

7

22

2

5

2

2

1

6

1

1

59

2

28

12

4

11

1

2

1

2

1

20

3

8

9

1

3

1

2

2

2

1

0

1

0

2

1

41

12

4

1

5

3

1

0

1

24

6

2

0

3

1

1

5

1

27

16

10

5

4

1

1

1

1

72

3

1

16

10

8

4

1

1

1

1

1

47

2

20

2

12

6

0

6

1

2

7

0

6

1

0

4

0

49

20

2

1

24

13

2

0

1

1

43

10

4

0

0

1

1

17

1

1

3

1

0

3

1

10

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

TOTAL

289

131

45

8

70

38

Table 10 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs ((N. acc.-costs >0) by size of company and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

Size of company

0 employee (works alone)

1-9 employees

10-49 employees

50-249 employees

250-499 employees

500 employees or more

Size not exactly known but less than 10 employees

Size not exactly known but more than 9 employees

Unknown size

TOTAL

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

62

86

48

60

31

2

41

37

18

23

11

1

289

131

5

12

11

10

6

1

45

1

1

5

0

1

0

8

18

17

11

14

9

1

70

25

23

9

11

4

21

16

3

6

1

9

14

9

13

4

4

5

4

5

2

4

17

5

11

6

1

4

3

7

2

1

3

3

1

2

14

11

3

4

5

1

38

72

47

49

20

43

17

10

0

0

0

1

0

1

Table 11 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by place of accident and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

Place of accident

Usual workstation or within the usual unit of work
Occasional or mobile workstation or in a journey on behalf 
of the employer

Another workstation to be specified

Missing

TOTAL

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

214

68

3

4

97

31

3

0

289

131

35

8

1

1

45

5

2

1

8

54

14

2

0

70

29

7

2

38

55

17

0

0

72

36

11

0

47

34

15

0

0

49

13

7

0

20

32

11

0

0

43

14

3

0

17

4

3

0

3

10

1

1

- Page 87- 

Table 12 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by circumstances of accident and duration of incapacity to
work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

(cid:1)

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

1

0

Circumstances of accident

Buildings, structures, surfaces - at ground or floor level
Buildings, structures, surfaces - above or below ground or 
floor level
Systems for the supply and distribution of materials, pipe 
networks

Motors, systems for energy transmission and storage

Handtools

Machines and equipment - portable or mobile, not handtools

Machines and equipment - fixed, not handtools

Conveying, transport and storage systems

Land vehicles

Other transport vehicles
Materials, objects, products, machine components, debris, 
dust

Chemical, explosive, radioactive, biological substances

Safety devices and equipment
Office equipment, personnal equipment, sport equipment, 
weapons, domestic appliances

Living organisms and human being

Bilk waste

Physical phenomena and element

Other material agents not listed in this classification

Missing

TOTAL

36

26

3

7

35

20

42

31

28

1

31

7

2

3

1

5

1

2

8

12

12

1

2

13

8

19

13

19

0

19

4

1

0

1

4

1

1

1

289

131

5

3

2

1

8

3

7

5

4

3

1

2

1

45

1

0

1

0

2

0

1

0

2

1

0

0

0

8

5

4

14

4

9

9

6

12

2

3

1

1

12

8

1

10

6

8

6

6

1

9

3

1

1

1

2

6

1

6

5

5

7

1

3

0

1

6

5

0

5

4

6

2

6

0

8

3

1

1

70

38

72

47

5

7

2

1

3

7

8

6

6

1

1

1

1

1

0

3

1

5

4

2

0

1

8

4

4

2

4

9

3

4

1

0

2

1

3

4

1

0

0

5

1

1

1

0

1

0

1

1

49

1

0

20

1

43

0

17

4

10

2

2

1

0

1

0

0

1

Table 13 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by age of victim and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

1

56

77

68

66

14

1

1

5

1

34

32

21

36

5

1

0

1

7

13

16

6

2

1

289

131

45

0

4

2

1

1

0

8

10

23

17

18

1

1

70

7

11

6

12

1

1

38

10

9

17

8

5

5

4

5

4

2

1

5

17

8

11

1

1

2

5

4

5

0

23

14

9

21

4

1

19

8

4

14

1

1

72

47

49

20

43

17

1

1

1

2

1

4

10

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

Table 14 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by sex of victim and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

234

51

4

289

111

20

0

131

34

11

45

7

1

8

54

16

70

30

8

38

60

12

72

39

8

47

47

2

49

20

0

20

34

9

43

14

3

17

5

1

4

10

1

0

0

1

Age of victim

0-17 years

18-24 years

25-34 years

35-44 years

45-54 years

55-64 years

65 years or more

Age unknown

Missing

TOTAL

Sex of victim

Male

Female

Missing

TOTAL

- Page 88- 

(cid:1)

Table 15 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by profession of victim (ISCO) and duration of incapacity to

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

Profession of victim (ISCO)

Legislators, senior officials and managers

Professionals

Technicians and associate professionals

Clerks

Service workers and shop and market sales workers

Skilled agricultural and fishery workers

Craft and related trades workers

Plant and machine operators and assemblers

Elementary occupations, non-skilled labourers

Armed forces

Other

Missing

TOTAL

work

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

9

8

26

9

116

63

39

15

4

289

1

7

1

19

9

3

5

3

2

18

6

53

37

9

3

0

131

45

0

1

0

5

0

0

2

8

2

0

5

1

31

18

11

2

70

1

0

4

0

18

12

3

0

38

2

1

13

4

16

22

11

3

72

0

1

11

3

11

19

2

0

47

1

0

6

2

25

6

8

1

1

0

2

2

9

3

3

0

2

0

1

2

1

0

1

1

23

10

8

6

1

3

1

0

49

20

43

17

1

2

3

4

10

0

0

1

0

1

Table 16 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by type of injury and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

Type of injury

W ounds and superficial injuries

Bone fractures

Dislocations, sprains and strains

Traumatic amputations 

Concussions and internal injuries

Burns, scalds and frostbites

Poisonings and infections

Drowning and asphyxiations

Effects of sound, vibration and pressure

Effects of temperature extremes, light and radiation

Shocks

Multiple injuries

Other

Missing

TOTAL

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

107

52

64

14

15

10

2

4

7

9

5

56

21

30

3

5

6

1

0

6

3

0

26

2

12

1

1

3

289

131

45

5

0

2

0

1

8

39

2

21

0

4

2

1

1

70

24

0

12

0

1

0

1

0

38

32

8

21

2

3

5

24

3

13

1

0

5

1

1

8

17

5

5

6

2

1

2

2

1

72

47

49

2

9

2

1

2

1

2

1

0

20

2

21

5

5

2

1

1

2

3

1

1

9

1

1

2

0

0

2

1

43

17

2

1

1

2

4

10

1

0

0

1

Table 17 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by body part and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

Body part

Head

Neck, including spine and vertebra in the neck

Back, including spine and vertebra in the back

Torso and organs

Upper limbs

Lower limbs

Whole body and multiple sites

Other

Missing

TOTAL

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

35

3

27

11

120

56

19

12

6

16

3

11

8

48

29

12

4

0

15

1

5

19

2

1

1

1

289

131

45

4

1

1

1

0

1

0

0

8

7

1

11

1

30

15

3

2

70

5

1

6

0

14

9

1

2

38

6

5

5

33

18

5

4

3

4

22

9

5

72

47

5

1

2

1

23

11

3

2

1

49

2

1

0

1

6

6

3

1

0

20

2

4

4

13

9

5

6

43

1

1

3

5

5

1

1

2

1

2

1

4

17

10

0

0

1

0

0

1

- Page 89- 

(cid:1)

Table 18 :Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by country and duration of incapacity to work

Country

Italy

Luxembourg

Portugal

TOTAL

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent 
incapacity

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

56

46

187

289

54

15

62

131

0

13

32

45

0

3

5

8

18

11

41

70

18

4

16

38

30

3

39

72

30

1

16

47

6

7

36

49

4

4

12

20

2

8

33

43

2

3

12

17

4

6

10

1

1

Descriptive  information  of  different  types  of  costs  reported  in  the
company questionnaires

Table 19 : Number of accidents with reported costs (N.), mean costs (euro) and
range of costs (euro) by type of costs and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

0-3 days

4-13 days

14-30 days

1-3 months

+3 months - and 
permanent incapacity

Types of costs

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

TOTAL - All types of costs combined *

131 1857

2 25000

8

393

2

1080

38 1043

5

3700

47 2163

5 25000

20 1526

50

4000

17 4003

5 24740

Material damage

Damage of the structures

Repair costs
Rental costs of temporary equipment, 
machines, buildings or vehicles
Production losses due to cessation or slow 
down of production

Replacement of persons

- Extra salary costs

- Costs of training and adaptation of a new 
worker

Loss of customers or orders

Court expenses

Administrative costs

Loss in terms of image

Other costs

12

969

50

3000

1

75

75

75

3 1000

700

1500

3

933

500

1300

3

750

50

1450

2 1750

500

3000

1 5905 5905

5905

70 2058

20 20000

38 1607

40 15000

6 1220

150

3000

2

6

1 5905 5905

5905

600

500

700

20 1613

50

3200

37 2236

20 20000

7 1713

90

3500

4 3970

800 10080

307

40

750

12

352

64

1500

6

1

450

150

1000

7 1627

313

4000

7 5846 1300 15000

150

150

150

3 1307

320

3000

2 1625

750

2500

2

35

595

346

190

2

1000

5000

2

14

2

25

9

18

5

50

11

671

2

5000

1

7

190

111

190

25

190

480

1 1000 1000

5

700

5

1000

3360

* In the total row all costs of one individual questionnaire where combined when calculating the mean and the range

- Page 90- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 8:

ESTIMATED COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK IN EU15
BY ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND COUNTRY

Note : Details in the following tables are hidden in some cells because of the low
number of accidents but they are include in the total of costs.

- Page 91- 

(cid:1)
Table 20 :EU15 : number and costs (1000 euros) of accidents at work with temporary
incapacity to work by economic activity (NACE) and age of the victim

Note: The labour costs and other costs were estimated also for the first year of the
accidents with permanent incapacity

- Page 92- 

(cid:1)
Table 21: EU-15 : number and costs (1000 euros) of accidents at work with
temporary incapacity to work by country and age of the victim

Note:  The  labour  costs  and  other  costs  were  estimated  also  for  the  first  year  of  the  accidents  with
permanent incapacity

- Page 93- 

Table 22 :EU-15 : number and costs (1000 euros) of accidents at work with
permanent incapacity to work by economic activity (NACE) and age of the victim

(cid:1)

- Page 94- 

Table 23 : EU-15 : number and costs (1000 euros) of accidents at work with
permanent incapacity to work by country and age of the victim

(cid:1)

- Page 95- 

Table 24 : EU-15 : Number and costs (1000 euros) of fatal accidents at work by
economic activity (NACE) and age of the victim

(cid:1)

- Page 96- 

Table 25 : EU-15 : Number and costs (1000 euros) of fatal accidents at work by
country and age of the victim

(cid:1)

- Page 97- 

(cid:1)
Table 26 : EU-15 : All accidents at work - number of accidents at work, costs due to
lost working time (labour cost) and other costs in 2000. EU-15 level results by e
conomic activity (NACE) and severity of accident (in 1000 euros)

- Page 98- 

(cid:1)
Table 27 : EU-15 : all accidents at work - number of accidents at work, costs due to
lost working time (labour cost) and other costs in 2000. EU-15 level results by
country and severity of accident (in 1000 euros)

- Page 99- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 9:

DESCRIPTION OF THE ESTIMATION OF COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT
WORK FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE VICTIMS

- Page 100- 

(cid:1)

Questionnaire for Victims

The  final  questionnaire  for  the  victims  is  presented  in  annex  5.  It  included  27
questions covering the following topics:

- contact information;
- characteristics of the victim;
- characteristics of the employer;
- characteristics of the accident and injury;
-  estimates  concerning  various  specific  costs  and  socio-economic
consequences of the accident at work.

Concerning  the  costs  for  victims  of  accidents  at  work,  a  distinction  was  made
between  financial  costs  and  costs  in  terms  of  quality  of  life  changes  due  to  the
accident  at  work.  Concerning financial  costs,  the following  costs  were  mentioned  in
the questionnaire for victims:

Health care costs

Rehabilitation costs
Costs  of  temporary  cessation  of
work  or  of  reduced  working
hours
Loss of job

than 

Retirement  earlier 
normal retirement age
Consequences on the career
Costs of legal actions

the

Other financial costs

Concerning  costs  in  terms  of  quality  of  life,  it  proved  much  more  difficult  to  obtain
reliable quantitative estimations. The respondents were asked to estimate in financial
terms  the  costs  of  the  following  consequences:  physical  disability,  family  life
consequences,  effects  on  social  life,  consequences  in  terms  of  sorrow,  suffering
and/or of pain, in terms of time available and other consequences.

Execution of the questionnaire survey

The  members  of  the  ESAW Task  Force  group  were  asked  to  consider  whether  the
survey could be carried out in their country. Finally two countries participated in the
company survey (Italy and Portugal). The victims were selected so that they had had
an accident at work recently and they were asked to provide the cost information for
this  most  recent  accident  at  work.  For  the  victims  41  (41%  response  rate)  replies
were  received  in  Italy  and  174  (87%  response  rate)  in  Portugal.  About  90%  of  the
replies concerned accidents with at least 1 day of absence from work.

The questionnaires  were  prepared  in  English  and  French  by  Ariane II. The  national
translations were prepared by the institutions co-ordinating the national surveys:

INAIL, Italy (questionnaire in Italian)
Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidarieda de Social, Portugal (questionnaire in
Portuguese)

The survey was performed as a postal survey in Italy and as face-to-face interviews
in Portugal.

- Page 101- 

(cid:1)

Estimation of costs of accidents at work for victims

The  survey  among  victims  was  conducted  only  in  Italy  and  Portugal.  It  should  be
noticed  that  as  the  number  of  answers  was  rather  small,  all  these  cost  estimations
were  based  on  combined  data  from  these  two  countries.  Two  types  of  costs  were
estimated:  costs  related  to  loss  of  income  and  all  other  costs.  The  detailed
distribution of the answers is given in tables 36 to 46 of Annex 10.
For the victims,  the long-term costs due to loss of income resulting from permanent
incapacity  were  not  estimated.  This  choice  was  made  because  it  would  have
necessitated  interviews  of  victims  who  had  their  accident  a  long  time  ago  or  an
estimation based on the victim’s assumption concerning the future losses of income.
Neither of these approaches was considered reliable enough.

Estimation of loss of income directly due to lost working time

The  accidents  described  in  the  victim  questionnaires  were  grouped  into  the  2
categories according to lost working time: less or equal to one month and more than
one  month  (accidents  with  no  loss  of  working  time  were  not  taken  into  account).
Furthermore  the  answers  were  also  grouped  according  to  whether  the  respondent
reported that he/she had received a reimbursement for this loss of income (not at all,
partial, total).

The first step was to evaluate the proportion of victims with loss of income due to lost
working time (victim ratio 1 – table 28).

Table 28. The number and proportion of victims with a loss of income.

Number of
days lost

All accidents  with a
loss of working time

Accidents with a
loss of income

Proportion of accidents
with loss of income
(victim ratio 1)

<= 1 month
> 1 month

N (%)
(1)
98 (58%)
71 (42%)

N (%)
(2)
43 (54%)
36 (46%)

(2)/(1)*100

43.88%
50.70%

 All

169 (100%)

79 (100%)

The proportion of victims with partial, no or total compensation due to loss of income
was thereafter calculated (table 29).

- Page 102- 

(cid:1)

Table 29. The distribution of accidents at work (with  a  loss  of  income)  according  to

the reimbursement status.

Number of
victims with
loss of income
(N)
79

Type of reimbursement of lost income
Total
Partial
No
compensation
compensation
compensation
N (%)
N (%)
N (%)
35 (44.30)
37( 46.84)
7 (8.86)

TOTAL

No  accurate  data  on  the  level  of  partial  reimbursement  was  available,  and  it  was
assumed that it would mean a reimbursement of 50% of the lost income.

The  mean  daily  (accidents  with  less  than  one  month  of  absence)  or  monthly
(accidents with more than one month of absence) losses of income reported by the
victims were calculated according to duration of absence and level of reimbursement
(table 30).

Table 30 : Mean  monthly loss of income by duration of absence and level of
reimbursment.

Victims with
Partial reimbursement
(the loss of income after
reimbursement)

Victims with
No reimbursement

Mean
(euros)

Min
(euros)

Max
(euros)

Mean
(euros)

Min
(euros)

Max
(euros)

17.01

3.92

42.86

8.96

5.71

15

507.14

300

800

425.18

45

3000

<= 1 month
(daily loss of
income)
> 1 month
(monthly
loss of
income)

Finally, the costs of lost income were calculated by applying the above proportions to
the accidents of the ESAW 2000 database. The proportion of accidents with a loss of
income  and  the  proportions  of  reimbursement  were  applied  to  the  days  lost  data  of
ESAW  database  and  multiplied  by  the  unit  loss  of  income  from  table  30.  As  the
above  proportions  were  estimated  with  data  obtained  from  Portugal  and  Italy,  the
weighted average of the earnings in these countries was calculated (weighted in the
ratio  of  the  number  of  questionnaires).  Thereafter,  for  each  country,  the  earnings
losses  were  estimated  with  this  average  earnings  loss  and  the  ratio  between  the
earnings between the country and the average (coeff E - Table 31).
Data used were extracted from New Cronos (see part 1 – New Cronos references –
p6) but the variable indic_lc represented earnings instead of the labour cost, for the
NACE categories c to k combined.

- Page 103- 

Table  31  :  The  monthly  earnings  (New  Cronos)  and  the  ratios  to  adjust  the  loss  of
income :

(cid:1)

Earnings for c to k NACE

Monthly

Coeff E

BE

DK

DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU

NL

AT

PT

FI

SE

UK

3,095.44

3,419.73

2,461.54

1,189.93

1,484.23

2,150.59

2,299.70

1,769.46

2,898.91

2,527.28

2,479.47

906.34

3,095.44

2,762.06

3,120.55

2.19

2.42

1.74

0.84

1.05

1.52

1.63

1.25

2.05

1.79

1.75

0.64

2.19

1.95

2.21

Estimation of other costs than loss of income

The costs other than those due to lost income were either costs of health care or of
rehabilitation. For  other  types  of  costs, the  respondents  did  not  report  any  concrete
estimates of costs (see annex 5 for the detailed list of costs in the questionnaire).

The proportion of victims with other cost than loss of  income  was  calculated (victim
ratio 3- table 32).

Table 32 : Proportion of victims with other costs than loss of income (victim ratio 3).
Duration of
absence
<= 1 month
> 1 month
Total

Total number of
victims
138
78
216

Number of victims
with other costs

20.29%
20.51%

28
16
44

Victim ratio 3

The estimated (non-reimbursed) amount of these costs and the number of days lost
was used to calculate the mean daily cost for such costs (table 33). The daily mean
was  calculated  as  it  was  assumed  that  on  the  average  the  amount  of  such  costs
would be related to the severity of the accident.

Table 33 : Mean daily cost of costs other than loss of income

Duration of
absence

<= 1 month
> 1 month

Other costs
paid by victims
daily
mean(euro)
11.03
3.09

- Page 104- 

The  daily  cost  was  thereafter  applied  to  the  data  of  days  lost  in  the  ESAW  2000
database. As there was no information available to adjust for the eventual differences
between the countries, the same daily cost was applied to all countries.

(cid:1)

Results of the estimation of costs of accidents at work from the point of
view of victims

The  aim  of  this  part  was  to  estimate  the  costs  remaining  to  be  paid  by  the  victims.
Table  34  presents  the  estimates  concerning  the  costs  due  to  loss  of  income  and
table  35  the  estimates  concerning  all  other  costs.  The  costs  due  to  loss  of  income
were  estimated  at  1.18  billion  and  the  other  costs  at  around  0.18  billion  in  EU15  in
2000.

- Page 105- 

Table  34:  Estimated  loss  of  income  of  the  victimes  due  to  accidents  at  work  by
compensation* status, days lost and country (1000 euros)

(cid:1)

*Note: the partial compensation was assumed to be 50% and this is taken into account in the calculation
of loss of income.

- Page 106- 

Table 35: Estimated other costs of accidents at work to the victimes by days lost and
country (1000 euros)

(cid:1)

- Page 107- 

(cid:1)

Discussion

The results are based on a very small number of answers and it was not possible to
analyse different types of accidents, different sectors of economic activity or victims
with different characteristics. It was also difficult for the victims to estimate exactly the
different  types  of  costs  and  also  the  respective  parts  thereof  that  had  been
reimbursed  by  an  insurance.  One  must  also  bear  in  mind  that  results  from  these
small samples in Italy and Portugal had to be extrapolated to the rest of EU-15 which
is a process that includes a lot of uncertainties. A coarse adjustment could be made
for  the  differences  in  the  level  of  salaries  between  the  countries,  while  it  was
impossible to estimate the influence of differences in the accident insurance systems,
their  reimbursement  levels  as  well  as  the  levels  of  costs  of  health  care  and  other
relevant costs. Therefore the results must be interpreted with caution. It is also to be
underlined that the design of the victim study did not allow to estimate the long-term
costs  of  accidents  at  work  resulting  in  permanent  incapacity  to  work.  The  results
however  indicate  that  in  addition  to  negative  effects  in  terms  of  quality  of  life  and
health, accidents at work also cause economical losses to the victims.  Nevertheless
if  the  costs  of  accidents  at  work  for  the  victims  (1.4  billion)  are  compared  with  the
total costs of accidents at work (22 billion - see table 27 page 99; cases of temporary
incapacity  to  work  only),  it  seems  that  the  majority  of  the  costs  do  not,  however,
remain at the charge of the victims.

- Page 108- 

(cid:1)

ANNEX 10:

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES
FOR VICTIMS

- Page 109- 

Table 36 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by sex of victim and duration of incapacity to work

(cid:1)

Sex of victim

Male

Female

TOTAL

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

146

71

217

64

32

96

88

50

138

36

20

56

57

21

78

28

12

40

1

1

0

Table 37 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc.-costs >0) by age of victim and duration of incapacity to work

Age of victim

0-17 years

18-24 years

25-34 years

35-44 years

45-54 years

55-64 years

65 years or more

Age unknown

TOTAL

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

0

16

51

58

60

30

2

0

217

0

7

21

18

28

21

1

0

96

8

35

44

33

17

1

138

5

13

12

16

10

0

56

8

16

13

27

13

1

78

2

8

6

12

11

1

40

1

1

0

0

Table 38 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by profession of victim (ISCO) and duration of incapacity to
work

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

Profession of victim (ISCO)

Legislators, senior officials and managers

Professionals

Technicians and associate professionals

Clerks

Service workers and shop and market sales workers

Skilled agricultural and fishery workers

Craft and related trades workers

Plant and machine operators and assemblers

Elementary occupations, non-skilled labourers

Armed forces

Other

TOTAL

2

0

14

9

18

4

95

46

29

0

0

217

0

0

4

2

15

4

35

23

13

0

0

96

9

8

14

2

62

28

15

1

1

12

2

20

13

7

2

5

1

4

2

33

17

14

3

1

3

2

15

10

6

138

56

78

40

0

1

1

0

- Page 110- 

Table 39 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N.  acc. -costs >0)  by  economic  activity  (NACE)  and  duration  of incapacity  to
work

(cid:1)

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

Economic activity (NACE)

Agriculture, hunting and forestry

Fishing

Mining and quarrying

Manufacturing  Hotels and restaurants

Electricity, gas and water supply 

Construction
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicle, motorcycles 
and personal household goods

Hotels and restaurants

Transport, storage and communication

Financial intermediation

Real estate, renting and business activities

Public administration and defense

Education

Health and social work

Other community, social and personal service activities

Private household with employed persons

Extra-territorial organisations and bodies

Missing

TOTAL

8

0

2

124

11

22

22

3

14

0

3

1

0

0

1

3

1

2

6

0

2

43

7

8

14

1

9

0

1

0

0

0

1

3

1

0

3

1

87

7

9

16

1

7

2

1

3

1

217

96

138

2

1

30

4

1

10

0

4

0

1

3

0

56

5

1

37

3

13

6

2

7

1

1

1

1

78

4

1

13

3

7

4

1

5

1

1

0

40

1

0

1

0

Table 40 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc.-costs >0) by size of company and duration of incapacity to work

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

Size of company

0 employee (works alone)

1-9 employees

10-49 employees

50-249 employees

250-499 employees

500 employees or more

Size not exactly known but less than 10 employees

Size not exactly known but more than 9 employees

Unknown size

Missing

TOTAL

3

44

58

28

52

22

0

2

7

1

0

25

29

16

15

8

0

1

2

0

1

26

36

17

39

14

2

2

1

217

96

138

14

18

8

10

5

1

0

0

56

2

18

21

11

13

8

5

78

1

0

11

11

8

5

3

2

40

1

0

- Page 111- 

Table 41 : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by type of injury and duration of incapacity to work

(cid:1)

Type of injury

Wounds and superficial injuries

Bone fractures

Dislocations, sprains and strains

Traumatic amputations 

Concussions and internal injuries

Burns, scalds and frostbites

Poisonings and infections

Drowning and asphyxiations

Effects of sound, vibration and pressure

Effects of temperature extremes, light and radiation

Shocks

Multiple injuries

Other

Missing

TOTAL

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

66

41

61

6

28

9

1

0

0

1

0

3

0

1

24

26

27

0

14

3

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

59

8

51

11

6

1

1

1

217

96

138

21

6

21

6

2

0

0

0

56

7

33

10

6

17

3

3

20

6

0

8

1

2

2

78

40

1

1

0

0

Table 42  : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with
reported costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by body part and duration of incapacity to work

Body part

Head

Neck, including spine and vertebra in the neck

Back, including spine and vertebra in the back

Torso and organs

Upper limbs

Lower limbs

Whole body and multiple sites

Other

TOTAL

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

28

4

20

10

87

61

7

0

217

12

1

8

6

40

27

2

0

96

22

3

12

5

59

34

3

138

10

1

3

3

25

13

1

56

6

1

8

5

28

27

3

78

2

5

3

15

14

1

40

1

1

0

Table 43: Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents withreported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by place of accident and duration of incapacity to work

Place of accident

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

Usual workstation or within the usual unit of work
Occasional or mobile workstation or in a journey on behalf of the 
employer

Another workstation to be specified

Missing

TOTAL

167

48

1

1

217

72

22

1

1

96

112

25

1

138

45

10

1

56

54

23

1

78

27

12

1

40

1

1

0

- Page 112- 

(cid:1)

Table 44  : Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with
reported costs (N. acc. -costs >0) by circumstances of accident and duration of
incapacity to work

Circumstances of accident

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknwon

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

Buildings, structures, surfaces - at ground or floor level

Buildings, structures, surfaces - above or below ground or floor level

Systems for the supply and distribution of materials, pipe network

Motors, systems for energy transmission and storage

Handtools

Machines and equipment - portable or mobile, not handtools

Machines and equipment - fixed, not handtools

Conveying, transport and storage systems

Land vehicles

Other transport vehicles

Materials, objects, products, machine components, debris, dust

Chemical, explosive, radioactive, biological substances

Safety devices and equipment
Office equipment, personnal equipment, sport equipment, weapons, domestic 
appliances

Living organisms and human being

Bilk waste

Physical phenomena and element

Other material agents not listed in this classification

Missing

TOTAL

40

20

1

0

21

11

40

14

13

2

38

5

0

0

3

0

2

0

7

22

9

1

0

9

4

12

8

10

0

17

1

0

0

0

0

1

0

2

217

96

26

8

18

7

26

7

7

29

3

12

3

8

1

9

5

6

11

1

2

0

14

12

1

3

4

14

7

6

2

9

2

1

1

10

6

1

1

3

3

3

4

6

0

0

1

5

138

0

56

2

78

2

40

1

1

0

0

Table 45 :Total number of accidents (N. acc.) and number of accidents with reported
costs (N. acc. -costs>0) by country and duration of incapacity to work

Country

Italia

Luxembourg

Portugal

TOTAL

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Unknown

N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0 N. acc.

N. acc. - 
costs>0

41

0

176

217

32

0

64

96

33

105

138

25

31

56

7

71

78

7

33

40

1

1

0

- Page 113- 

Descriptive information of different types of costs reported in the victim
questionnaires

(cid:1)

Table 46 :Number of accidents with reported costs (N.), mean costs (euro) and range
of costs (euro) by type of costs and duration of incapacity to work. Only costs which
were not reimbursed

Duration of absence

All

<=1 month

>1 month

Types of costs

Financial Costs

Health care costs

Rehabilitation costs

Costs due to legal actions at court

Other financial costs

Loss of income

Total compensation

Partial compensation *

No compensation

* Total reported loss before reimbursement

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

N. Mean Min

Max

 40

 5

 188

 264

 5

 1

 600  26

 172

1 000

 2

 60

 5

 20

 600  14  217

 100

 3  400

 5

 1

 600

1 000

 7 3 572

 10 23 246

 6 4 165

 65 23 246

 1

 10

 10

 37

 35

 305

 375

 40

 45

 800  30

 258

 40

 800

 7  507  300

3 000

 7

 176  100

 330  28  425

 45

3 000

 10

 800

- Page 114-