Cost of disabling unintentional injuries

According to the National Safety Council’s 2010 edition of “Injury Facts,” preliminary data showed the number of disabling unintentional injuries reached 3.2 million in 2008, while 4,303 fatalities occurred. That translated to:

• 110 million lost workdays – 70 million from injuries.
• An estimated total cost of $183 billion. Of that amount, wage and productivity losses were estimated at $88.4 billion, medical costs at $83.3 billion and administrative expenses at $37.7 billion. In previous years, the number of days lost for permanent disabling injuries was 40 million.
• The cost per worker for loss of productivity and injuries was estimated to be $1,250.
• The cost per disabling injury was $48,000, and the cost per death was estimated at $1.3 million.