Health & Safety News Brief
Occupational Health & Safety Information Service

Ireland's Occupational injuries and illnesses costing up to €3.6bn

A report, commissioned by Government, reveals that occupational injuries and illnesses are costing the country between €3.2bn and €3.6bn.

The report, prepared by the consultancy firm Indecon, found that employers believe that the benefits of complying with health and safety legislation outweigh the costs.

Firms put the cost of complying with health and safety legislation at 1% of the total annual wage bill.

The report also found that inspections where action is taken for non-compliance, described as penalty inspections, are more effective in improving accident, injury and illness rates.

Industry specific policies have also been found to be effective.

A special section of the report, devoted to the construction industry, found that a sizeable minority believe that health and safety legislation has led to a reduction in insurance costs, while a small majority (53.8%) believe legislation has led to a reduction in the costs of accidents.

Commenting on the report, the Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen, T.D., said the costs are significant (they are about 2.5% of gross national income) and should make everybody “redouble their efforts to make workplaces safer”.

The report, which is over 100 pages long, can be accessed on and downloaded from the website of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, www.entemp.ie. Look at publications on the home page to find the report.