The Social and Economic Costs of Occupational Disease and injury in new zealand

The closing date for this RFP was 4.00 p.m.on Friday 15 July 2005. This RFP sought to provide quantitative estimates of the social and economic costs of Occupational Disease and Injury in New Zealand.

The review will use an “Incidence Approach” to measure new cases of Occupational Disease and Injury in a reference year. Where insufficient data exists for Occupational Diseases and Injuries included in the NOHSAC report a “Prevalence Approach” may be used for these specific disease and injuries.

The review will examine a matrix of Social and Economic Costs of Occupational Disease and Injury in New Zealand taking into account

a). Severity of the disease or injury

Severity Category	Definition
Less than 5 days off work	A minor work-related injury or illness, involving less than 5 days absence from normal duties, where the worker was able to resume full duties.
Five days or more off work and return to work on full duties	A minor work-related injury or illness, involving 5 or more days and less than 6 months off work, where the worker was able to resume full duties.
Five days or more off work and return to work on alternate duties or reduced income	A work-related injury or illness, which results in the worker returning to work on alternate duties, more than 6 months after first leaving work and over time resuming normal duties. This category includes permanent incapacities for which a minimal duration of absence from work occurred (and therefore the worker was able to return to work in some capacity).
Permanently incapacitated with no return to work	A work-related injury or disease, which results in the individual being permanently unable to return to work.
Fatality	A work-related injury or disease, which results in death.

b). Direct costs and Indirect Costs

• ACC Employer levies

• Medical and Rehabilitation costs (including projected costs for claims)

• Weekly Compensation

• Investigation costs and fines

• Lost productivity

• Loss of current and future earnings

• Lost of potential output

• Costs of providing additional assistance to injured persons

c). Estimates of pain and suffering and early death

Cost estimates will be presented by

• Total Costs

• By Industry

• Gender, ethnicity and age groups

• Severity

• Cause

• Disease and Injury type

Social and Economic Costs of Disease and Injury in New Zealand.pdf