Economic consequences of accidents to hands and forearms by log splitters and circular saws: Cost of illness study

Abstract

We estimated costs associated with injuries to hands from log splitters and circular saws used to cut up firewood and assessed the value of prevention. The study was carried out as a cost of illness study with an incidence approach based on 57 consecutive patients (median age 51; range 8–81) with injuries to the hand or forearm. Twenty-six of the 57 had an amputation which required microsurgery and 31/57 had various injuries. Median Hand Injury Severity Score (HISS) reflecting the severity of all injuries was 67 (range 6–332). Median DASH score after 2–7 years was 12.5 (0–73.3). Total cost (direct costs, costs of lost productivity, and lost quality of life) was estimated to roughly EUR 14 million (EUR 2.8 million/year), where the cost of lost quality of life is 82% of the total cost and loss of productivity and direct costs are 9% each. Injuries sustained from log splitters and circular saws account for considerable costs, but first and foremost human suffering.

Key Words::

• Hand injury
• cost of illness
• log splitter
• circular saw
• DASH

Acknowledgements

The project was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (Medicine), Crafoords Fund for Medical Research, Konsul Thure Carlsson Fund for Medical Research, Region Skåne, and Funds from the University Hospital Malmö, Sweden. We thank Tina Folker and Anita Larsson for help with the project. This article is a condensed version of a Bachelor thesis from the Department of Economics, University of Lund, Sweden.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.