The stories in this study tell us about the sometimes-horrific human impact of minor slip-ups. They are at times harrowing, with expressions of grief and loss that cannot but move the reader. They are also at times full of hope, courage and determination, as those harmed, their families and workplaces express how they struggled to overcome the severe consequences that the injury or illness wreaked on their lives.

But as a whole this study does more than express individual experience. There are fifteen individual stories from widely different industries, with very different injuries or illnesses; they express, however, a collective burden. The weight of the suffering and loss can be seen for what it is to the community as a whole - a drag on growth, a brake on success and happiness. Multiply the stories literally hundreds and thousands of times and you can begin to understand the level of waste, suffering and loss that unnecessary occupational illness and injury produces.

For further information please visit the NZ Injury Prevention Strategy website.

Table of contents

• Executive Summary
• Part 1: Purpose and Context
  • Purpose of the Study
  • Context Statement
• Part 2: Case Studies
  • List of Cases
  • Individual Case Studies
• Part 3: Findings
  • Individual
  • Family and Friends
  • Workplace
  • Medical
  • Government
  • Conclusion
  • Epilogue
• Part 4: Methodology
  • Methodology
  • Literature Review
• Appendix
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Participant information sheet
  • Participant Consent Form
  • Interview Guide
• Bibliography