$20 billion-a-year workplace headache

The economic and social costs of workplace-related injuries and disease could total $20.9 billion a year - up to four times higher than previous estimates.

A report released by the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee estimates the full cost of such diseases and injuries is made up of $4.9 billion in financial loss and $16 billion in costs related to suffering and premature death.

Only 2 per cent of the total costs are "compensated" by organisations such as ACC and the Ministry of Social Development.

The research drew on a number of other studies and analysed all new cases of occupational disease and injury in the year to March 2005.

Committee chairman Professor Neil Pearce said the huge financial costs were being borne by, and affecting, employers, employees and society in general.

"And, of course, the effects are much more than financial," he said.

"There are often significant and long-term social consequences for the injured and sick people and for their families, workplaces and communities, and further down the track, the health system, the Government and the economy."

New Zealand had to urgently address this "huge and unacceptable burden", Professor Pearce said.

"Every year between 700 and 1000 people die from occupational disease and 100 people die from occupational injury.

"We also see up to 20,000 cases of new work-related diseases, and about 200,000 work-related injuries that result in claims to ACC."

Disease killed 10 times more people than injuries: about one-third of the work-related deaths were due to cancer, and substantial proportions were due to respiratory disease and heart disease.

However, work-related accidents and injuries represented a greater burden of morbidity.

The report writers found that New Zealand's systems for surveillance of work-related disease and injury were "inadequate" by international standards, and there was a particular lack of information regarding women, Maori and Pacific people, and on work-related injuries and disease sustained by bystanders.

Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said the report flagged the "vital importance" to the economy of improving health and safety performance.


1100
* Estimate of number of workers who die from occupational disease or injury each year.

$20.9b
* Economic and social cost of occupational diseases and injuries.

- NZPA