The costs of construction accidents

Abstract

The construction industry contributes significantly to national economic growth and offers substantial opportunities for job creation; however the industry has continually been plagued by workplace accidents. Moreover, employers may not realize the economic magnitude of workplace injury and ill health arising from construction activities. These accidents represent a considerable economic and social burden to employers, employees and to society as a whole. Despite governments and organisations worldwide maintaining an on-going commitment towards establishing a working environment free of injury and disease, a great deal of construction accidents continues to frequent our society. Given the high rate of construction accidents experienced, employers are not entirely mindful of the actual costs of construction accidents, especially when considering the hidden or indirect costs of accidents. Various safety research efforts have attempted to quantify the true costs of worker injuries, however localised systematic information on cost of construction accidents at work is not readily available from administrative statistical data sources, therefore this study was carried out in order to estimate the costs, like lost workdays or lost income, are clearly visible and can readily be expressed in monetary value; for a large part however, economic consequences of accidents are somewhat hidden. Indirect costs following an accident may be disregarded, damage to the company image is difficult to quantify and pricing human suffering and health damage is subject to discussion. Nevertheless, it is possible to get an adequate insight into the costs of accidents and the potential benefits of accident prevention.