Abstract
![CDATA[Problem: Occupational accidents may incur considerable financial losses for companies. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the losses incurred by building contractors in Australia due to construction workplace accidents. Method: The research aim was achieved using a case study approach. A reputable Australian contracting firm, Kell & Rigby was the subject of the case study. Twenty-seven accidents were recorded at Kell & Rigby during the year 2011. The financial costs related to the twenty-seven accidents were estimated and recorded using a validated data collection instrument. The intangible costs incurred by the accidents were assessed by interviewing the top management personnel. Findings: The results show that the tangible costs and intangible costs of accidents account for 0.55% and 0.19% respectively of the company’s 2011 annual turnover, or 11% and 3.8% respectively of the company’s profit margin in 2011. The findings indicate that the costs of workplace accidents are significant as the total costs accounted for more than 14% of the company’s profit margin in 2011. The results may be helpful for Kell & Rigby to take efforts to improve its safety performance. The methodology of this research may be useful for a similar study conducted with different companies.]]
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of CIB W099 International Health and Safety Conference: Achieving Sustainable Construction Health and Safety, 2-3 June 2014, Lund, Sweden |
Publisher | Lund University |
Pages | 447-455 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISBN (Print) | 9789176230053 |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Event | CIB W099 International Health and Safety Conference - Duration: 2 Jun 2014 → … |
Conference
Conference | CIB W099 International Health and Safety Conference |
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Period | 2/06/14 → … |
Keywords
- construction industry
- accidents
- costs
- contractors
- Australia