Accident Costs Research Articles

The economic cost of fatal workplace accidents in Sweden - A methodology for long-term decision analysis.

The few studies attempting to estimate costs of fatal accidents at workplaces suffer from poor or obscure applied methodologies. As the costs are often limited for the exposed company/industry in the short run, economic decisions about investments to improve the safety and security of workplaces are moreover not made at the societal level nor within an appropriate time frame. In a social economic decision, the total potential productivity lost over time due to a fatal accident is considered regardless of who pays what compensation to the families involved. This study introduces a methodology appropriate for making long-term economic decisions at the societal level to prevent accidents in Swedish workplaces. The introduced methodology, which is based on the human capital approach, is used to assess potential productivity losses associated with the accidents. The empirical findings show that, over the period 2008-2019, Swedish society could have gained more than 8.5 billion Swedish crowns by preventing accidents at Swedish workplaces. The objective achieved as the economic cost of fatal workplace accidents assessed from a long-term societal perspective. Effective preventive measures in the workplace make thus an incredible contribution to society in the form of increased national income, sustainable welfare and economic development.

Drowsiness Detection System

A sleepiness detection system uses technology to spot and warn people who might be about to nod off or become less vigilant. To assess the degree of drowsiness, the system uses a variety of physiological or behavioural signs, including eye movements, brain waves, and patterns of vehicle control. Research is now being done to create reliable sleepiness detection systems, which could have positive effects on safety, accident avoidance, and productivity for a variety of businesses and people. These technologies all have the potential to increase safety in a variety of industries and lower the risk of accidents brought on by drowsiness, even though their accuracy and dependability vary. By lowering accident costs and boosting productivity, the deployment of sleepiness detection systems may also have favourable economic effects. Over all, the creation of precise and trustworthy sleepiness detection systems is an important field of study with potential advantages for a range of businesses and people.

The Irresistible Simplicity of Preventing Harm

Abstract In Loomis v. Amazon.com, the California Court of Appeal confronts the most pressing products liability issue of our time: the extent to which an online marketplace is liable for injuries caused by defective products sold on its platform. In a trailblazing concurrence destined to enter the torts canon, Justice John Wiley highlights Amazon’s ability to influence the safety of the products it makes available for sale, and uses the case to remind us that the “deep structure of modern tort law” is built to “minimize the social costs of accidents.” Similarly, Justice Wiley cuts a clear path through the thicket of the economic loss rule, institutional (or vicarious) liability and punitive damages cases by following the torts lodestar: the irresistible simplicity of preventing harm.

Bowtie analysis for risk assessment of confined space at sewerage construction project

This paper aims to investigate the issues related to safety in confined space at the sewerage treatment plant construction project in the Hulu Langat district and to provide a solution by proposing a substantial approach to mitigating risk during confined space entry due to an ineffective risk assessment and poor compliance by project management. The methods used were site visit observation and survey, followed by an analysis of the selected risk assessment method. The site visit to the sewerage treatment plant project investigated the compliance of confined space risk assessment documents to established requirements such as OSHA 1994, FMA 1967, ICOP 2010, HIRARC Guidelines 2008, Quebec Regulation 2015, ISO 31010, HSE UK, and BCGA UK. The selected risk assessment method was analyzed with Bowtie Risk Assessment by referring to the preventive approach concept or barrier analysis. Next, additional information relevant to risk assessment from journals was included. Evaluation of Bowtie Risk Assessment was conducted through a focus group discussion (FGD), which plays an essential role in developing the Bowtie risk assessment graphical framework. The proposed Bowtie Risk Assessment graphical framework provides a sewerage treatment plant construction project with a holistic technique for preventing confined space accidents. It also provides a safe work system, manages hazards and risks effectively, promotes good leadership practices, improves company reputation, and significantly reduces accident costs. The framework is also helpful as a reference model for other industry players.

Quantitative Risk Evaluation by Building Type Based on Probability and Cost of Accidents

The construction industry has the highest frequency of injuries and fatal accidents compared to other industries. Therefore, an accurate evaluation of the level of risk is necessary to effectively manage accidents in the construction industry. Although risk assessments are used in the construction industry to identify and reduce risk, they are carried out qualitatively by the subjective opinion of safety managers. Therefore, this study proposed a quantitative risk assessment based on the risk levels of 17 building facilities. Moreover, this study classified the building facilities into groups of similar risk levels. This study involved five steps. The results of the study indicated that in terms of both accident probability and financial losses, the facility type with the highest risk ranking was “Residential buildings” (5.92). The risk assessment method proposed in this study can contribute toward reducing accidents by identifying the exact risk level for each facility type. Moreover, clients and contractors can utilize this study and its findings as a basis for different safety management approaches depending on the risk group level.

COST ANALYSIS OF MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT VICTIMS AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: PERSPECTIVES FROM 2017 AND 2020.

Motorcycle accidents constitute a public health problem that affects public and private health services due to the expenses of the victim's treatment and rehabilitation. Evaluate the impact of motorcycle accident costs in a university hospital in 2020. Comparative analysis of the costs of motorcycle accident patients in 2020 and 2017. Among 151 patients included in the study, the average cost was U$3,083.54, and the average days of hospitalization were 5.3 days. The patient with the highest cost to the hospital spent U$22,504.05, and the patient with the lowest cost spent U$356.72. The longest stay among these patients was 41 days, and the shortest was one day. The average cost per patient per day for the entire sample was U$581.80. The formulation and application of strategies that promote the reduction of motorcycle accidents in the city of Campinas are necessary. Level of evidence II, Retrospective study.

Transport Safety in Road Traffic - The Condition and Preventive Measures as Assessed by the Respondents

Abstract The article presents basic definitions related to road accidents and types of tests carried out in the field of road accidents. The effects of road accidents on participants, drivers as well as social and direct costs of road accidents were discussed. The correct conduct of people involved in a road accident (incident) was presented. In the research part, the most common causes of accidents in Poland were analysed. Particular attention was paid to the participation in accidents of participants under the influence of alcohol. The article ends with a discussion on the presented research results and the resulting conclusions as well as a proposal for preventive actions to reduce the number of road accidents.

Financial and Socio-Economic Effects of Investment in the Context of Dog Population Management.

The modern world faces serious challenges associated with the presence of stray dogs on the streets, especially in urban areas. Vardar Planning Region in North Macedonia, which consists of nine municipalities, experiences such challenges. According to current reports, the number of stray dogs on the streets of cities in this region has increased, which has resulted in an increase in the number of dog attacks on residents. As the existing capacities are small in the registered shelters, we considered the possibility of building a new shelter for stray dogs to meet the needs of this region. The goal of our paper is the evaluation of the financial and socio-economic justifications for the construction of a shelter for stray dogs in the Vardar Planning Region (VPR). The results of the financial justification analysis show that the project does not provide satisfactory financial results. Namely, the Financial Net Present Value (FNPV) is negative, with a value of EUR 75,291. The Financial Internal Rate of Return (FIRR) is 0.57%, lower than the discount rate, which is not acceptable for a private investor. The Financial Benefit-Cost Ratio (FB/CR) of this project is 0.925, suggesting that the total discounted costs are greater than the total discounted revenues. On the other hand, the expected socio-economic benefits from this project are multifaceted, including savings in stray dog bite costs, savings in the cost of traffic accidents caused by stray dogs, and savings in the treatment of diseases caused by stray dogs. The results of the economic analysis show that this investment has full socio-economic justification and that it should be implemented. The Economic Net Present Value (ENPV) is positive and amounts to EUR 789,916. The Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) is 25.94% and the Economic Benefit-Cost Ratio (EB/CR) amounts to 1.90, i.e., greater than 1. The results of the sensitivity analysis also confirm the justification for the realization of this project.

Application of Statistical Analysis for Risk Estimate of Railway Accidents and Traffic Incidents at Level Crossings

Abstract This paper deals with applying statistical analysis of traffic safety to analyze the risks at level crossings. The social costs of railway accidents and traffic incidents at level crossings are very high and lead to a reduction in the levels of traffic safety. In addition to the consequences reflected in the loss of human lives, injuries, and disabilities, the stress and trauma of direct participants in traffic, accidents, and incidents at level crossings cause huge property and economic losses and significant primary and secondary traffic delays. The traffic safety analysis was conducted on 2128 level crossings, which are differently protected on the lines Joint Stock Company for Public Railway Infrastructure Management ”Serbian Railway Infrastructure” with statistical data of accidents in the Republic of Serbia from 2007 to 2017. The paper analyzes the obtained results using the methods of descriptive and inferential statistics to define measures of possible improvement of safety levels at the obtained critical level crossings. Also, a proposal was made for improving and raising the level of safety on level crossings through innovative education of direct participants in traffic.

Characteristics and costs of electric scooter injuries in Helsinki: a retrospective cohort study

Background and purposeThe incidence of electric scooter (e-scooter) injuries has increased drastically in numerous countries after widespread availability of shared e-scooters. The economic impact on society from a broader perspective has not been studied. We aimed to estimate the incidence of e-scooter injuries, describe the injury patterns, and estimate the costs of e-scooter injuries.Patients and methods:We performed a retrospective cohort study including all e-scooter-related injuries presented in the three adult emergency departments in Helsinki in 2021. We collected the patient data from the university hospital information system. Injury severity was evaluated based on the Abbreviated Injury Score. The cost of the hospital treatment was analyzed based on our hospital district’s service price listing. In addition, we recorded the total amount of sick leave days and estimated their economic impact.ResultsIn total, 446 e-scooter injuries were identified and taken into the analysis (434 affecting riders and 12 non-riders). The median age of the patients was 26 (IQR 22–33), and 59% were male. 257 (58%) of the of the injuries were minor, whereas 155 (35%) were moderate, 30 (7%) serious, 3 (0.7%) severe, and one (0.2%) critical. Furthermore, 220 (49%) of the patients sustained head injuries. A major spike in accident incidence was seen during the weekend (Friday to Sunday) nights, accompanied by a proportional increase in patients with alcohol intoxication. Including both the costs of the hospital care and absence from work, the approximated total cost of e-scooter injuries was 1.7 million euros, with a median cost of a single accident being 1148 euros (IQR 399–4263 €).Interpretation:Considerable number of the injuries are moderate, severe, or worse. Comprehensive preventive measures must be conducted to decrease the incidence of e-scooter injuries. The use of helmets should be strongly encouraged to prevent severe head injuries. The nighttime bans during weekends and speed limits on e-scooters appear to be justifiable.

A Straightforward Framework for Road Network Screening to Lombardy Region (Italy)

It is not possible to deal with sustainable mobility without considering road safety as a key element: Target 3.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals aims at halving the number of road deaths by 2030. To do so, further effort and effective tools are required for road authorities, to implement improvement measures and enhance road safety for all. Road network screening (RNS) is the first step of the whole Road Infrastructure Safety Management (RISM) System process. It is applied to a wide scale to assess the safety performance of the whole road network and identify the worst performing roads (or sites). The literature is quite rich with RNS models and methods, which have greatly improved, recently. Moreover, although many national frameworks on road safety have been issued over time, some barriers remain, specifically related to data quality, such as accurate crash location, which is mainly used to integrate crash data with other databases. In addition, most of these frameworks adopted partial indexes to identify black spots and presented results using fixed maps for visualization. This paper fills these gaps by the proposal of a straightforward operational framework to perform RNS, based on a simple and flexible rationale to integrate raw crash, traffic, and road data. Specifically, the framework: (i) manages crash location data, without relying on plane or geographical coordinates, which are missing or inaccurate and still are a crucial issue in many European countries such as Italy; (ii) adopts an adjusted accident cost rate index that integrates frequency and severity of crashes as well as a measurement of exposure; (iii) introduces variable maps that show the results at different jurisdiction levels. A relevant case study demonstrates the usefulness of this framework using 30,000+ crash data of the whole non-urban road network of the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy). Road authorities could adopt this framework to perform an accurate safety screening on the overall regional road network. Moreover, this framework could be implemented in a road traffic safety managerial system to better prioritise safety interventions within a tight budget and help achieve sustainable development targets.

Quantitative Analysis of the Accident Prevention Costs in Korean Construction Projects

It is essential to objectively evaluate accident prevention costs (APCs) to respond to high-accident rates in the construction industry. However, currently, no quantitative APC analysis model considers the properties of the Korean construction industry. Therefore, in this study, the APC quantification structure was derived to comprehensively evaluate the properties of Korean construction projects, such as occupational safety and health management funds, safety management expenses, and others. Subsequently, the current status of APC in Korea was analyzed based on case studies on 38 projects for which questionnaires were collected. As a result of the study, the average ratio of the APC to total construction cost of the target project was calculated to be 1.95%. In addition, an average difference exists between groups according to client types and facility types in the target project. This study developed an APC quantification model considering Korea’s safety-related laws and insurance systems. It is expected that the results of this study can be used as objective data for evaluation according to the target project type.

Liability Rules for AI-Related Harm: Law and Economics Lessons for a European Approach

AbstractThe potential of artificial intelligence (AI) has grown exponentially in recent years, which not only generates value but also creates risks. AI systems are characterised by their complexity, opacity and autonomy in operation. Now and in the foreseeable future, AI systems will be operating in a manner that is not fully autonomous. This signifies that providing appropriate incentives to the human parties involved is still of great importance in reducing AI-related harm. Therefore, liability rules should be adapted in such a way to provide the relevant parties with incentives to efficiently reduce the social costs of potential accidents. Relying on a law and economics approach, we address the theoretical question of what kind of liability rules should be applied to different parties along the value chain related to AI. In addition, we critically analyse the ongoing policy debates in the European Union, discussing the risk that European policymakers will fail to determine efficient liability rules with regard to different stakeholders.

Hospitalization of injured motorcyclists in Brazil from 2011 to 2021

The motorcycle accident, its social and economic costs to society are topics widely debated and discussed today, since the trauma disease is responsible for numerous cases of hospitalization, injuries in target organs and sequelae. In addition, it presents itself as the main cause of death in young people and the economically active population. The present study aims to characterize the profile of hospitalizations due to traffic accidents involving motorcyclists in Brazil, reported in the DATASUS database. This is an epidemiological, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of a historical series from 2011 to 2021. Education and prevention is essential in actions to control motorcycle accidents, seeking to reduce mortality and physical disability of victims after trauma. Epidemiological surveillance and preventive campaigns must be active and continuously intensified, seeking to eliminate accidents for the benefit of the individual and society.

A Study on Health and Safety Management of Workers in Construction Industries Across Hyderabad, India

Abstract: The construction industry is the 2nd largest employer industry after agriculture, employing 33M (million) people. The report from construction India development concil (CIDC) of 2005-2006 in India. Large percentages of work force are untrained, unskilled, illiterate, and migrante. Most of them drawn from rural background. There is no method establishment pragmatic method of screening work force prior to deployment of construction sites. Occupational fatalities; injuries and disease constitute defects as they are not project requirements. Injuries also contribute to the cost of construction and development as workers insurance compensation is include as a labour overhead and cost of accidents is integrated into cost structure of contractors Total Quality Management (TQM) is the strategy that links the processes of occupational safety and health, quality and productivity, health and safety providing the catalyst for realizing the synergy between the three processes. This paper is providing of TQM totally deals with top level in an organization and deals with the supervisors on site which provide. This paper in detail about the factors that affect safety in construction sites, beside this the research also studies the reason behind the accidents in construction sites and finally explores how safety management procedures could be implemented at their best in the construction industry.

FEASIBILITY STUDY OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OF CASSAVA PRODUCTS IN THAILAND: SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING

Thailand is one of the world’s top export countries, sharing 72% of the global shipment, mainly in the agricultural and industrial products. Being a major logistics hub in ASEAN, Thai government has initiated several projects to support the transportation of people and goods. Road transportation is a major mode of goods transportation in Thailand. However, it incurs the highest logistics cost compared with water and rail modes. The use of multimode transportation is, therefore, considered to lower the logistics cost and reduce the environmental problems. This study examines the feasibility of multimodal transportation of cassava products in the long-term utilizing the system dynamics modeling approach. Six saving elements, including 1) saving in labor cost, 2) saving in fuel cost, 3) saving in carbon dioxide tax, 4) saving in truck rental cost, 5) saving in reimbursement cost, and 6) saving in accident cost, and four cost elements, including 1) handling cost, 2) tariff cost, 3) product return cost, and 4) product damaged cost, are considered in the dynamics model. The simulation results reveal that at the initial years, the net cash flow is negative due to high investments in double track system. Once the project continues, the savings increase. It is found that the project is feasible when it is continued for 10 years at the internal rate of return of 13.69%. The sensitivity analysis results also show that the saving in truck rental cost and the product damaged cost are two key elements in the multimodal transportation, as they highly affect the internal rate of return of the project. The developed dynamics model of multimodal transportation of cassava products can be used as a guideline for transportation companies and government to plan for their multimodal transportation to reduce logistic costs and achieve benefits in the long term.

Road Safety Issues in India

Road safety mishaps are now considered a public health issue considering the economic and societal costs of road accidents. The victims are the face of the incidents; however, the costs are borne by their families, society, and countries. In this paper, we look at the need to bifurcate individual and authoritative responsibilities such that our roads become a safer place for all. We focus on India as the case study region and study the various government initiatives taken to improve the country's road safety. This research highlights the gaps and recommends necessary solutions to decrease road traffic deaths and injuries. Further, we investigate how the responsibilities must be shared amongst the various stakeholders, including the drivers and the leadership, placed at two opposite ends to balance the changing aspects of road safety. This paper aims to give recommendations for improving the road safety conditions in India per the local context by analysing the three key questions: What are the societal impacts of road traffic accidents? To what extent does individual responsibility matter, and why can road safety not rely exclusively on the drivers’ behaviour? How and where do the authorities’ responsibilities change the road safety dynamics?

Evaluating the viability of a Tram-Train system. A case study from Salento (Italy)

Tram-Train (TT) combines features of railway and tramway systems by mean of tailored light railway vehicles. Although TT systems offer several benefits such as efficiency, effectiveness, and quality, they also incur some issues (e.g., rolling-stock design) that might discourage city administrations from implementation. Further, whilst this system is quite well-known, the related literature is still scarce and relegated to presenting qualitative descriptions of general features, technical issues, and experiments with some TT components. Detailed viability analyses of TT systems implementation in metropolitan areas and evaluation of their economic feasibility have been poorly investigated.This case study addresses previous gaps by a two-tier framework. The first - a context analysis - focuses on a city’s features and applies an analytical hierarchy process resulting in a weighted global score to assess the suitability of the specific context for a TT system. If the city achieves a positive evaluation for implementation (according to the score), then the second tier brings a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) into play to assess the project’s economic sustainability.Analysis of the Salento (Italy) metropolitan area proved to be a peculiar case study, as it presented uncommon features for TT system employment compared to ideal scenarios from the literature. Nevertheless, by the context analysis, the area resulted viable for such an innovative and interoperable transport system. Indeed, the results highlighted that resource availability and political strategies were far more relevant in the analysis than the spatial and technical features, as well as the need for improving connections. Next, two TT project alternatives were compared through the CBA, and both resulted in economically sustainable, being the net present value positive, the internal rate of return larger than the discount rate and the benefit-cost ratio larger than one. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was applied for the best alternative. It showed that TT investment costs, the marginal cost of accidents, and the demand shifted from the suburban bus and car, respectively, were reported as critical variables. Nonetheless, no switching values were registered that could realistically threaten the assessment of the economic profitability of the TT project. As far as the authors know, these results provide the first empirical evidence of the TT system’s viability and its economic feasibility in a mid-sized city based on the development of previous literature recommendations. Hence, this case study may provide a benchmark tool for policymakers, transit experts and the scientific community to assess TT projects.

Driver Route Planning Method Based on Accident Risk Cost Prediction

The number of cars on roadways around the world continues to increase year over year. However, the imbalance between traffic supply and demand has not only brought traffic congestion but also caused serious safety problems. To reduce travel risk, this study proposes a driver route planning method based on accident risk cost prediction for connected and automated vehicles. According to the entropy weight method and an improved algorithm of K shortest paths, a route planning model with accident risk as the main optimization objective was established. Firstly, an accident risk evaluation system was built based on traffic accident data, and a quantitative prediction model of accident risk cost based on driver-, vehicle-, road-, and environment-related factors was constructed. Secondly, the entropy weight method was used to calculate the weights of each indicator to determine accident risk considering the aforementioned factors. Then, the route planning model was established, and the solution algorithm based on K shortest paths was designed to solve the optimal route by comprehensively considering accident risk cost and travel time. The accident risk index of each road section in the example road network was assigned, and the risk of the road section was quantified according to the accident risk cost model. Three candidate paths were calculated by using the path planning algorithm proposed in this study; the total risk cost is 6.19, 6.26, and 6.39, respectively; and the total travel time is 29, 29, and 31, respectively. After comparison, the optimal path and two alternative paths are obtained. The results show that the accident risk cost prediction model based on historical accident data can be used to quantify driving risk. The proposed method can help drivers in the connected and automated environment choose the optimal travel route with the lowest risk and shortest travel time and improve overall traffic safety and efficiency.

Occupational Accidents and Work Injuries in Jordan’s Economic Sectors between 2010 and 2019

A growing emphasis is being placed on raising global awareness of the magnitude and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries, and diseases, as well as designing and implementing efficient preventive and protective policies and programs. Statistical data on occupational accidents and diseases, as well as work-related deaths on a national level, may assist decision makers in critically assessing the status of occupational health and safety (OHS) and proposing appropriate measures to improve the status of OSH to meet global standards. Jordan faces economic challenges that necessitate effective measures to reduce damage and economic losses caused by workplace accidents and injuries, as it has been revealed that the work injury rate is approximately one accident every 44 minutes and the death from a work injury occurs every 3 days. The average fatal injury rate per 105 of workers is 8.6. The manufacturing sector reported the largest percentage of work injuries (35.9%). The fall of persons caused the largest percentage of work injuries (29.3%). Accidents that resulted in "Bruises" accounted for 33.4% of all accidents, while accidents that resulted in "Wounds" accounted for 26.8% of all accidents. The percentage of work-related injuries that resulted in curable injuries accounted for 75.8% of the total injuries. The cost of work accidents is reflected by an estimated average of 80000 absence days and annual social security costs of approximately 8.8 million JD.