The economics of health and safety at work: a critical review (full text in pdf)
Antonis Targoutzidis
ELINYAE, 26th October Str. 90, Thessaloniki, Greece
targoutzidis@elinyae.gr
Abstract The economic aspect of health and safety at work is increasingly gaining attention as a key factor
influencing relevant policy, both in social and corporate level. Currently, this research is focused on the
estimation of the large social costs of occupational accidents and diseases, as well as to the economic
evaluation of interventions for health and safety at work, aiming to awareness raising of decision makers in
government and enterprise level respectively. Several issues concerning the accuracy of these estimates, as
well as their usefulness as a tool, rather than as a reference, in decision making are presented and discussed.
Alternatively, the research on externalization of costs and inequalities is proposed as a direction of research
that could offer more for decision making on Occupational Health and Safety policy.
Keywords: Economics of Health and Safety; cost of occupational accidents and diseases; occupational accidents and the Economy.