Economic evaluations

Economic evaluations in health and safety calculate the costs and benefits of injury, illness and disability prevention programs, both workplace-based and at the systems level. IWH researchers not only answer questions about how and what to measure in an economic evaluation, but also conduct economic evaluations themselves as part of larger studies determining the effectiveness (in terms of both costs and other benefits) of occupational health and safety, return-to-work and other work-related programs that affect health.

Featured

Wooden block letters spelling out R O I, with colourful arrows pointing to them
At Work article

IWH estimates point to positive return on OHS investment in three Ontario sectors

An estimate of the return-on-investment in occupational health and safety is not a figure that many individual employers can easily come up with on their own. A team at IWH has come up with an estimate for three Ontario sectors, based on previous research and WSIB data.
Published: July 29, 2022
Journal article
Journal article

Economic evaluation of interventions to reduce solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure among construction workers

Published: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, May 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Construction equipment amid dusk and haze
At Work article

Comparing the costs, benefits of silica dust prevention methods for construction workers

Construction workplaces can use different methods to reduce exposure to silica dust and protect workers from cancer down the road. But which methods should they opt for? A cost-benefit analysis led by IWH offers some guidance.
Published: August 2020
Close-up of Euro bill and map of Europe
At Work article

Estimating the societal costs of work injuries and illnesses in five EU countries

To help European Union countries set priorities and analyze potential benefits of tackling work-related hazards, an IWH team developed and implemented a new method for estimating the societal costs of work injuries and illnesses.
Published: January 2020
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series

Estimating the economic burden of work injuries and illnesses in the European Union

Knowing the economic burden of work-related illnesses and injuries in a country can help policy-makers set priorities. In a recent project involving five European Union countries, Institute for Work & Health Senior Scientist and labour economist Dr. Emile Tompa, along with post-doctoral fellow Amir Mofidi, developed and executed a new framework for such an estimate. In this presentation, Tompa discusses the approach, its potential, as well as results of the five-country study.
Published: November 2019
A man feeds his mom at a hospital bedside
At Work article

Raising awareness about caregiver supports results in savings for employer: study

It's one thing to have workplace policies to support employees with unpaid caregiving duties at home. It's another to raise awareness about such policies among staff and their supervisors. That alone can result in savings for the employer, according to a new cost-benefit analysis.
Published: July 2019
Journal article
Journal article

Impact of a caregiver-friendly workplace policies intervention: a prospective economic evaluation

Published: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, June 2019
Journal article
Journal article

What do employers spend to protect the health of workers?

Published: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, April 2019