• Project number: F 2363
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) / Kompetenzzentrum Versicherungswissenschaften GmbH, Leibniz Universität Hannover
• Status: Completed Project

Description:

For the socioeconomic assessment according to the REACH or Biocide Regulation usually unit costs for monetary assessment of cases of occupational illness are needed to compare the costs of risk management measures to the socioeconomic benefits of prevented mortality and morbidity. In general, the damage of occupational illness consists of welfare losses of the victim, productivity losses and medical costs. The relative importance of these three cost components depends on the type and severity of the illness. European unit cost values are available mainly for mortality caused by carcinogenic chemicals. In the focus of this project are the costs of illness attributable to isocyanates as a possible sensitizer for the respiratory system and skin. For these kinds of diseases unit cost values will be derived by a meta-analysis of cost of illness studies. These reference values will reflect differences in the health systems of the European Union. According to the large number of external factors influencing the costs and the uncertainties in cost determination ranges of cost unit values will be derived (5%-/ 95%-Percentile of unit cost estimation). The derived ranges of cost unit values will be used to support Division 4 “Hazardous Substances and Biological Agents" of BAuA in preparation of restriction dossiers, and to check plausibility of cost unit values used in restriction dossiers of other Member States.