These figures were presented by the EU to the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, which is being held this week in Singapore.

EU Occupational Safety and Health Agency director Christa Sedlatschek said: “Safe and healthy work is a fundamental human right but these new estimates…show that the economic case for occupational safety and health has never been stronger.

“Work-related ill-health and injury is costing the European Union 3.3 % of its GDP.”

Other findings presented to the congress included that work-related illnesses accounted for 86% of all deaths linked to work worldwide, and 98% of those in the EU.

There were 123.3 million disability-adjusted life years lost globally as a result of work-related injury and illness, of which 7.1 million were in the EU.

In most European countries, work-related cancer accounts for the majority of costs, at €119.5bn or 0.81% of EU GDP, followed by musculoskeletal disorders.