Employer costs of alcohol-involved injuries.
BACKGROUND
This study estimates the annual cost of alcohol-related injuries to employers in 1998-2000.


METHODS
Incidence was estimated with occupational injury data, motor vehicle crash data and health care data for 1998-2000. Employer costs were estimated from federal estimates of injury costs by source of payment using data on the percentage of varied payment streams (e.g., health insurance, sick leave) paid by employers.


RESULTS
The annual employer cost of alcohol-related injuries to employees and their dependents exceed US dollars 28.6 billion. Out of this, US dollars 13.2 billion comes from job-related, alcohol-involved injuries. The annual employer cost of motor vehicle crashes in which at least one driver was alcohol-impaired is over US dollars 9.2 billion. Out of this, only US dollars 3.4 billion comes from job-related alcohol involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Safety programs can reduce the fringe benefit bill without reducing the benefits offered to employees.
Zaloshnja
Eduard
E
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, Maryland 20705, USA. zaloshnja@pire.org
Miller
Ted R
TR
Hendrie
Delia
D
Galvin
Deborah
D
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D017049:Employer Health Costs; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000191:economics; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics