Lições de Direito Económico e Financeiro, 1º Ano

I – O “DIREITO ECONÓMICO”: O ESTADO COMO PRODUTOR DE BENS E SERVIÇOS E O ESTADO COMO REGULADOR DA ECONOMIA: O PLANEAMENTO E AS MEDIDAS DE ESTÍMULO OU FOMENTO; O ACESSO À ACTIVIDADE ECONÓMICA; II – CONCEITO E TIPOLOGIA DAS EMPRESAS; III – ALGUMAS EMPRESAS EM ESPECIAL; IV – DIREITO PENAL ECONÓMICO E DE EMPRESA; V – “CONTENCIOSO DAS EMPRESAS”; VI – DIREITO DO CONSUMO, DIREITO DAS EMPRESAS E DIREITO PENAL ECONÓMICO; VII – DIREITO DA CONCORRÊNCIA E DOS PREÇOS; VIII – DIREITO MONETÁRIO, FINANCEIRO E DOS MERCADOS DE VALORES MOBILIÁRIOS: INSTRUMENTOS E MERCADOS FINANCEIROS; IX - REGULAÇÃO DO AMBIENTE E DA ACTIVIDADE ECONÓMICA; X - REGULAÇÃO DA QUALIDADE; XI – DIREITO FINANCEIRO PÚBLICO. §I - "ECONOMIC LAW": THE STATE AS PRODUCER OF GOODS AND SERVICES AND THE STATE AS A ECONOMY REGULATOR: PLANNING AND MEASURES OF STIMULUS OR PROMOTION; ACCESS TO ECONOMIC ACTIVITY II - CONCEPT AND TYPE OF COMPANIES III - SOME SPECIAL COMPANIES IV - ECONOMIC AND CRIMINAL LAW COMPANY, V – “LITIGATION IN COMPANIES”; VI - LAW CONSUMER, LAW OF COMPANIES AND ECONOMIC CRIMINAL LAW; VII - COMPETITION LAW AND PRICES; VIII - MONETARY LAW, FINANCIAL AND SECURITIES MARKETS: FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND MARKETS; X - REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY: X - ADJUSTMENT OF QUALITY; XI - PUBLIC FINANCIAL LAW.

Economic analysis of occupational risk prevention: a case study in a textile company

Work accidents affect business and society as a whole. Fewer accidents mean fewer sick leaves, which results in lower costs and less disruption in the production process, with clear advantages for the employer. But workers and their households bear also a significant burden following a work accident, only partially compen-sated by insurance systems. Furthermore, the consequences of work accidents to the State and Society need also to be considered. When an organization performs an integrated risk analysis in evaluating its Occupational Health and Safety Management System, several steps are suggested to address the identified risk situations. Namely, to avoid risks, a series of preventive measures are identified. The organization should make a detailed analysis of the monetary impact (positive or negative) for the organization of each of the measures considered. Particularly, it is also important to consider the impact of each measure on society, involving an adequate eco-nomic cost-benefit analysis. In the present paper, a case study in a textile finishing company is presented. The study concentrates on the dyeing and printing sections. For each of the potential risks, several preventive measures have been identified and the corresponding costs and benefits have been estimated. Subsequently, the Benefit/Cost ratio (B/C) of these measures has been calculated, both in financial terms (from the organisa-tion’s perspective) and in economic terms (including the benefits for the worker and for the Society). Results show that, while the financial analysis in terms of the company does not justify the preventive measures, when the externalities are taken into account, the B/C ratio increases significantly and investments are fully justified.

Economic evaluation of occupational safety preventive measures in a hospital

BACKGROUND: When an organization performs an integrated analysis of risks through its Occupational Health and Safety Management System, several steps are suggested to address the implications of the identified risks. Namely, the organization should make a detailed analysis of the monetary impact for the organization of each of the preventive measures considered. However, it is also important to perform an analysis of the impact of each measure on society (externalities). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to present a case study related to the application of the proposed economic evaluation methodology. METHODS: An analysis of the work accidents in a hospital has been made. Three of the major types of accidents have been selected: needle stings, falls and excessive strain. Following the risk assessment, some preventive measures have been designed. Subsequently, the Benefit/Cost ratio (B/C) of these measures has been calculated, both in financial terms (from the organization’s perspective) and in economic terms (including the benefits for the worker and for the Society). RESULTS: While the financial ratio is only advantageous in some cases, when the externalities are taken into account, the B/C ratio increases significantly. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to consider external benefits to make decisions concerning the implementation of preventive measures in Occupational Health and Safety projects