Estimate of economic costs of accidents at work in Iran: A case study of occupational accidents in 2012

Abstract

Background and aims: Work-related accidents each year have a significant impact on worker productivity and ultimately the economy of the society. Because, as a fact, resources are limited for reducing the risks and costs can affect the optimal investment in safety issues, the aim of this study was to calculate the economic costs of occupational accidents in Iran. Methods: In this study the direct costs from 10,583 occupational accidents occurred in 2012 is estimated. Number of working days lost per accident and the total number of working days lost was calculated on the basis of specific groups. For quantitative estimates of lost workdays, 129900 RS per day was considered. Results: The Most working days were lost in the construction industry (4136572 days). In addition, the occurrence of occupational accidents among married persons (5182949 days) and employees with less than one year of work experience (2960727 days) is resulted in maximum working day lost. The total cost arising from occupational accidents was 958120580 Rials and cost of each occupational accident per person was equivalent to 90533930 Rials. Conclusion: The costs of accidents on employers and ultimately the country's economy are noticeable. This study provides a framework for strategic planning to protect workers and to prevent the imposed economic costs on workplaces and ultimately on society economy, including the private sector and government sector. آ© 2015, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. All rights reserved.