The Cost of Home Accidents
RoSPA recently commissioned research from the Transport Research Laboratory to look into the cost of home accidents. Its findings were shocking: the total annual cost of home accident casualties who are treated for their injuries at hospital - around 2.7million people each year - is estimated to be £45.63billion (£45,630million), based on an average cost of £16,900 per victim.
This figure does not include the cost of home accident deaths, which number in excess of 4,000 every year, and for which the cost per fatality is estimated at £1.61million. And it does not include the cost of people who seek GP treatment after a home accident. So in fact, the true cost to society of accidents at home is likely to be far higher.
Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA chief executive, said: “We have long known that more people are killed or injured in accidents at home than in any other setting and the multi-billion pound cost of these accidents is, quite simply, breathtaking and unacceptable. It is a sad fact that overall accidental deaths have increased in recent years. Accidents typically associated with the home, such as falls, account for some of this rise.
“It is time to get serious about accident prevention, particularly in the home, which has been the Cinderella of safety for far too long because injuries are suffered behind closed doors. This is not just about saving money - a strong argument, but one that will not stand by itself - but is a way of halting the misery that accidents inflict on so many in our communities.”
Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s home safety manager for England, said: “The latest figures about the cost of home accidents give renewed impetus to prevention campaigns. I am pleased they are being presented in the context of our annual congress, which is attended by home safety professionals from across the UK. Being able to quantify the financial benefits of prevention, as well as the emotional benefits, should help them as they seek funding for their work.”
RoSPA commissioned TRL to conduct the latest valuation research, which updates a previous report from 1996, when the cost of home accidents was estimated to be around £25.62billion. The cost findings are based on: lost contribution to the economy (lost output); the value of avoidance of injury (the amount the community would be prepared to pay to avoid the chance of an injury happening); and the cost of medical, Social Security and other support services. Costs to the individual and long-term care are not included.
To put the home accident valuation in context: a report published by the Department for Transport earlier this year estimated the value of preventing road accidents in 2009 to be £30billion (when accidents reported and unreported to the police were considered).
The report can be viewed here: Re-valuation of Home Accidents (PDF 370 kb).
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