Analysis of the relationship between work accident and human development index and its sub-components: An application in selected OECD countries

Society is a set of people connected to each other by cultural, economic and social relations. For employees, work and business life are at the center of these relationships. For this reason, Occupational Health and Safety is very important for all societies. There is a strong relationship between the socio-economic development of countries and Occupational Health and Safety. In countries where Occupational Health and Safety awareness is high, occupational accidents occur less frequently and/or fewer casualties die as a result of occupational accidents. The number of occupational accidents can be used as an indicator of the development of countries. However, the Human Development Index (HDI) is also used as an indicator of the development of countries. Increasing the value of HDI means a longer and healthier life, knowledge and a good standard of living. HDI has three sub-dimensions: health, welfare and education. In this study, the relationship between HDI and its sub-dimensions and the number of occupational accidents was investigated in the short and long term. For this purpose, the number of deaths caused by occupational accidents, human development index and sub-dimensions for some selected OECD countries (Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Turkey) between 1990-2020 were arranged as panel data. The second-generation panel unit root test was applied, taking into account the cross-sectional dependence and homogeneity tests of the relevant variables for the countries. According to the Pesaran CIPS test, the related variables were stationary at first difference. Then, the cointegration relationship between occupational accidents and human development index was obtained with the Westerlund test. In order to better understand this relationship, long-term relationships were obtained between the sub-dimensions of the human development index and the number of deaths caused by occupational accidents. As a policy, it has been concluded that the number of occupational accidents and deaths resulting from work accidents will decrease when the national income per capita is improved and the welfare of the society is increased, the health infrastructure is strengthened and the life expectancy is increased, and policies are developed and investments are made to increase the expected education period of an individual who has just started education.