Job Injuries and illness costs 30 billion annually

The crane overturned at a construction site.Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB scanpix

Death, disease and damage at Norwegian workplaces cost society 30 billion kroner annually. According to a report from SINTEF, much of this could have been avoided with better prevention.

This report from SINTEF, commissioned by the Labour Inspectorate, show that years of life lost and lost quality of life due to illness and injuries constitute 63 percent of the 30 billion kroner cost.
The rest is the cost of direct treatment, disability and lost production.
The two leading causes of lost quality of life due to illness or job injury is lower back pain and lung cancer, while the type of accidents that cause the most death, and therefore more money for society, are clamping accidents.
The Labour Inspectorate conduct nearly 18,000 audits every year and believe that there is space for better preventative measures in Norwegian workplaces.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today