Kostnads-nyttoanalys som samhällsekonomisk konsekvensanalys av arbetsmiljöåtgärder

Abstract

Work-related injuries — in a broad sense, including work-related death, illness, and poor health — impose significant costs on society each year. There is thus substantial potential for societal cost savings, but this does not imply that all occupational health and safety interventions are economically justifiable from a societal perspective. Cost–benefit analysis offers a means of examining which occupational health and safety interventions are socially profitable to implement. This article provides a current introduction to cost–benefit analysis, discusses its strengths and limitations, and illustrates its application by summarising a recently published scientific study in which cost–benefit analysis is applied to a workplace intervention carried out in Sweden.