Economic Consequences of Firewood Machinery Accidents – A Cost of Illness Study in the Southern Health Care Region of Sweden

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to estimate the costs associated with hand injuries inflicted by log splitters and circular saws, and by doing this also estimate a value of prevention. This is carried out in the form of a cost of illness study with an incidence approach. A consecutive data material comprising 57 patients was obtained from the Department of Hand Surgery at Malmö University Hospital (UMAS). The observed period of time ranged from 1999 to 2003. Most injuries affected the hand or the forearm. Total cost to society in the southern health care region is estimated to approximately € 14.5 million per year. Total cost is the sum of direct costs, productivity loss and life quality loss, where life quality loss stands for the largest part.