The economics of occupational health and safety

All behaviour in business is economically driven, and the economic aspects of occupational health and safety (OHS) are no less significant. Until now, however, these aspects have not been sufficiently developed as a research topic.

The EU-funded ''Building a knowledge repository for occupational well-being economics research'' (ROWER) project addressed fundamental issues that would enhance research on OHS economics. Such research will form the basis of relevant policy development. The ROWER Coordination and Support Action (CSA) brought together leading OHS economists and encouraged individual contributions. Knowledge was gathered, interpreted and compiled into a dynamic online repository.

At the beginning of the project, a state-of-the-art report was developed based on existing research. A number of meetings and conferences followed that, along with research published elsewhere, contributed to the core output of the project: a handbook on OHS economics.

Specialised meetings focussed on the micro- and macroeconomics of OHS. The team also assessed the impact of changing economic and labour conditions on OHS.

ROWER concluded that although economics is just one parameter of OHS research, there is room to create an independent research branch on the topic. The longevity of ROWER is also credited to the online repository, where the public can access material gathered during the project.

Related link:
http://cordis.europa.eu