Prevalence, Medico-Legal Aspects and Cost of Occupational Accidents Occurring in a Cardboard Packaging Manufacturing Company in Abidjan from 2012 to 2019

Introduction: Work-related accidents constitute are a public health concern worldwide. The aim of our study was to assess a series of work-related accidents that occurred in a cardboard packaging manufacturing company in Abidjan from 2012 to 2019 and to determine the consequences for the victims and the company. We’ve carried out a retrospective study of all work-related injuries reported to the National Social Insurance Fund of Cote d’Ivoire from 2012 to 2019 using the company’s work-related accidents’ register and investigation reports. Results: The prevalence of work-related injuries among the workers was 84% for the manual workers and 16% for the supervisors. The trends in the prevalence of work-related injuries were upwards, with a slow and almost linear progression over the period of study. Most of the accidents (53%) occurred in the process area. The upper limbs were the most common location of injuries (46%) and almost all the cases were declared cured. The cumulative direct costs of the TAs over the 8 years were 46,185,533 FCFA, or 70409.39 euros. The average direct annual cost was 624,129 CFA francs, or 951.47 euros. The average annual indirect cost was 41,265,576 CFA francs. The cumulative amount of indirect costs was 330,124,611 CFA francs over the 8 years. The indirect costs accumulated over the 8 years represented 98.17% of the cumulative economic cost of work accidents. Discussion: The assessment of the socioeconomic impact of these work-related injuries revealed that indirect costs which are usually ignored nor underestimated by the employers represent a minimum direct/indirect ratio of 1/27. Conclusion: Prevention is the best option to anticipate or mitigate the impact of work-related accidents among the victims.