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Investigating the Economic Cost of Injury in the Workplace: A Case Study Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Geoffrey Kiel ,
H. Ted Kolsen  and
Carmel Smith
Geoffrey Kiel
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Management, The University of Queensland
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Abstract

Historically, the costs of work-related injury have been reported in macro-economic terms. Macro-economic cost alone, however, does not accurately portray the totality of costs that are incurred as a result of a work-related injury. This paper reviews the literature in the area of workplace injury cost estimation and highlights the complexities involved in the area. Using a case study analysis of six workplace injuries, this paper reports on the overall cost of work-related injury, and identifies the key determinants of cost. The research indicates that the actual costs of workplace injury can vary significantly to the “typical” costs as used in some macro-economic studies.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , June 2000 , pp. 108 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2000

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Footnotes

*

Appreciation is extended to the many people who assisted in the development of this paper including the case study participants and government authorities, Dr Gerd Haberkem, Dr John Mangan, Professor Phil Bohle and Mr Scott Kiel-Chisholm. This study was funded by the Queensland Division of Workplace Health and Safety.

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