Cost of workplace accidents rises to NZ$4.4b a year

Cost of workplace accidents rises to NZ$4.4b a year

Friday 6 Sep 2024

The cost of workplace accidents rose to NZ$4.9 billion in 2023, up from NZ$4.4b the year before, a new report shows. The State of a Thriving Nation report was released by the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum last month. Written by economist Shamubeel Eaqub, the report tallied the cost of lost lives and earnings, serious injury costs to ACC, and health issues to reach the NZ$4.9b figure.

“Catching up to Australia’s performance would save New Zealand NZ$1.4 billion each year, and if we were to match the UK’s performance, we would save NZ$3.4 billion per year,” the forum’s chief executive Francois Barton said.

The report also found that close to 50% of New Zealanders had been affected by a workplace accident involving either themselves, a colleague, their family or friends. Fifty percent of those surveyed said they had a positive perception of New Zealand’s performance on health and safety.

When asked how much they would pay personally to make work safer, 55% said they would pay an amount which, spread over the population, would equate to NZ$730 million per year.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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