Injuries only account for two per cent of the work-related deaths – with the impact of work-related illness often underestimated. Cancers account for over half of all work-related deaths, with circulatory ones responsible for 24% more.

Work-related accidents and injuries cost €2,680 billion a year globally, and €476 billion a year in the EU according to new global estimates.

In most European countries, work-related cancer accounts for the majority of costs

The findings also give an important metric: a measure of the years lost as a result of work-related injury and illness. Every year 123.3 million DALY (disability-adjusted life years) are lost globally.

Of these, 67.8 million are accounted for by fatalities and 55.5 million by disability.

In most European countries, work-related cancer accounts for the majority of costs (€119.5 billion or 0.81% of the EU’s GDP), with musculoskeletal disorders being the second largest contributor.

€476 billion every year could be saved with the right occupational safety and health strategies, policies and practices

Work-related injuries and illnesses result in the loss of 3.9% of all work-years globally and 3.3% of those in the EU, according to findings released today by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) together with the International Labour Organization.

Director of EU-OSHA Christa Sedlatschek said: “Safe and healthy work is a fundamental human right but these new estimates of the costs of poor or non-existent OSH measures show that the economic case for OSH has never been stronger. Work-related ill-health and injury are costing the European Union 3.3 % of its GDP. That’s €476 billion every year which could be saved with the right occupational safety and health strategies, policies and practices.”