Calculating the international return on prevention for companies: costs and benefits of investments in occupational safety and health

The issue addressed here is whether workplace prevention has a micro-economic effect that benefits a company’s bottom line. In order to study this question, in early 2010 the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Energy, Textile, Electrical and Media Products Sectors (BG ETEM) launched a research project called “Calculating the International Return on Prevention for Companies: Costs and Benefits of Investments in Occupational Safety and Health”. The results of the 19 participating countries and 337 interviewed companies are presented in this report in consolidated form.