Labour accidents and financial performance: empirical analysis of the type of relationship in the Spanish context

Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2022 Jun;28(2):974-990. doi: 10.1080/10803548.2020.1851921. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Abstract

This article performs empirical research and finds a negative relationship between accidents in the workplace and financial performance. The relationship is stronger and more persistent for performance 1 year ahead than for the current year. We find no significant evidence of curvilinear U-shaped or inverted U-shaped relationships. Results are strong across different industries and samples, variable definitions and model specifications. The study contributes to the scarce extant research with reliable data and samples of a wide span of industries. The study also contributes methodologically with refined analyses of the curvilinear relationship and providing robust widespread inference for a large number of industries.

Keywords: accidents in the workplace; financial performance; labour accidents; profitability; safety.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Occupational*
  • Humans
  • Workplace*