Number of occupational accidents highest in six years

Ballebye, Mette; Nielsen, Helle Ourø

Overview

Article

Number of occupational accidents highest in six years

Published: 18 November 2007

Mette Ballebye,

Helle Ourø Nielsen

Health and well-being

In Denmark, employers are obliged to report all occupational accidents to the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet, AT [1]) when an employee has been incapable of working for one or more days following the day of an accident. However, AT estimates that up to 50% of work-related accidents are not reported.[1] http://www.at.dk/

For the third consecutive year, the number of occupational accidents has increased in Denmark. In 2006, some 62 fatal accidents were reported, which is the highest number of such accidents in six years, according to a new report from the Danish Working Environment Authority. This corresponds with a general trend showing an increase in the number of accidents at the workplace.

In Denmark, employers are obliged to report all occupational accidents to the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet, AT) when an employee has been incapable of working for one or more days following the day of an accident. However, AT estimates that up to 50% of work-related accidents are not reported.

The AT report on occupational accidents, Reported work-related accidents 2001–2006. Annual statement (in Danish, 1.5Mb PDF), provides a statistical overview of such accidents between 2001 and 2006. The report shows that the number of occupational accidents has increased in recent years: in 2006, the total amount of work-related accidents stood at 48,774, which represents an increase in accidents of 3%, or 0.6 percentage points, compared with 2005.

It is believed that the rising number of occupational accidents must be seen in the context of increased employment and a higher pace of work at workplaces. Furthermore, a modification of the Workers’ Compensations Act (470Kb PDF) (Arbejdsskadesikringsloven) has made the reporting procedure easier for companies to inform AT about occupational accidents. Hence, more employers choose to report accidents, since the modified compensations act has simplified the financial compensation process.

Trends in reported occupational accidents

Table 1 illustrates the development of work-related accidents between 2001 and 2006. During this period, the number of fatal accidents increased from 43 such accidents in 2001 to 62 in 2006. This represents an increase in fatal accidents of 5.9 percentage points over the period under examination. Furthermore, 5,787 other serious accidents than death were reported in 2006, which corresponds to a rise in serious accidents of 2.1 percentage points since 2001. These findings indicate that every eighth work-related accident is so serious that it has led to amputation, fracture or injury on substantial parts of the body. In addition, the number of other accidents also increased by 0.4 percentage points between 2001 and 2006. The number of reported fractures accounts for almost 10% of all occupational accidents.

**Table 1: Reported occupational accidents, by type of accident, 2001–2006**
The table outlines the increase in the number of reported occupational accidents, as well as their percentage of the total amount of accidents in their category between 2001 and 2006.
. Seriousness	Year of registration						Total
. Seriousness	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Fatal accidents	43 (13.6%)	61 (19.2%)	47 (14.8%)	45 (14.2%)	59 (18.6%)	62 (19.5%)	317 (100%)
Other serious accidents*	5,134 (16.6%)	4,847 (15.8%)	4,878 (15.8%)	5,011 (16.2%)	5,252 (17.0%)	5,787 (18.7%)	30,909 (100%)
Other accidents**	41,968 (17.3%)	39,790 (16.4%)	37,215 (15.4%)	38,657 (15.9%)	41,839 (17.2%)	42,925 (17.7%)	242,394 (100%)
Total	47,145 (17.2%)	44,698 (16.3)	42,140 (15.4%)	43,713 (16.0%)	47,150 (17.2%)	48,774 (17.8%)	273,620 (100%)

Notes: * Other serious accidents include those accidents which have led to amputation, fracture or other injuries on substantial parts of the body. ** Other accidents include injuries such as sprains, wounds, thermal injuries, soft tissue injuries, corrosive burn and poisoning.

Source: AT, 2007

Sectoral distribution of occupational accidents

Table 2 indicates the sectors of the economy recording the highest rates of reported work-related accidents per 10,000 employees in 2001 and 2006. The highest incidence of occupational accidents was observed in sectors such as meat processing and meat products, shipbuilding, and rescue services, including the fire brigade. Looking at the processing of meat and meat products sector, the incidence of occupational accidents, at 1,130, was significantly higher than the average incidence rate for all sectors (177) in 2006. The lowest number of work-related accidents was recorded in sectors such as healthcare – notably in relation to medical and dental services and physiotherapy – where the incidence rate of occupational accidents stood at 43 accidents; fishing, which recorded an incidence rate of 47 accidents; and retail trade and services – particularly petrol stations – where the incidence rate stood at 58 accidents.

Table 2: Highest incidence rates of reported accidents per 10,000 employees, by sector, 2001 and 2006*
This table shows the sectors most affected by occupational accidents, reported per 10,000 people employed in the sector in 2001 and 2006.
Sector	Incidence rate 2001	Incidence rate 2006
Processing of meat and meat products	1,329	1,130
Shipbuilding	1,032	910
Fire brigade and rescue services	512	629
Processing of poultry, fish and feedstock	643	578
Manufacture of glass, ceramics, and bricks	539	561
Manufacture of preserved food products and beverages	521	483
Manufacture of dairy products and margarine	413	474
Manufacture and processing of basic metals and casting	446	440
Incidence rate for all sectors	170	177

Notes: For an overview of all 49 sectors surveyed by AT, see report. * Selection of sectors according to highest number of reported work-related accidents.

Source: AT, 2007

In five of the eight sectors shown in Table 2, the number of occupational accidents actually decreased between 2001 and 2006, most notably in the meat processing and meat products sector. However, the general trend reveals that the number of work-related accidents per 10,000 employees increased between 2001 and 2006.

Accidents by sex and age

In terms of age, Table 3 highlights the workers’ age groups indicating the highest rate of reported occupational accidents per 10,000 employees in 2001 and 2006. Most accidents occurred among workers aged 18–24 years, 40–44 years, 45–49 years and 25–29 years in 2006. The highest incidence rate of accidents was recorded for the 18–24 age group in 2006, with 207 accidents reported. This outcome is high compared with the incidence rate of occupational accidents for all age groups, which stood at 177. The number of occupational accidents has increased among most age groups since 2001, with only employees aged between 30 and 39 years reporting fewer accidents in 2006 than in 2001.

Table 3: Reported occupational accidents per 10,000 employees, by age group, 2001 and 2006*
This table shows the different age groups indicating the highest incidence rate of reported occupational accidents per 10,000 employees in 2001 and 2006.
Age group	Incidence rate 2001	Incidence rate 2006
18–24 years	195	207
25–29 years	187	191
30–34 years	186	183
35–39 years	190	182
40–44 years	183	193
45–49 years	170	192
50–54 years	159	181
55–59 years	162	171
60–64 years	117	134
Incidence rate for all age groups	170	177

Notes: For an overview of all age groups which AT includes in its statistics, see the report. * Age groups chosen according to number of accidents.

Source: AT, 2007

In terms of gender, significantly more accidents were reported for men than for women. This also holds in relation to all types of occupational accidents surveyed – fatal accidents, other serious accidents, as well as other accidents. Looking at the trends between 2001 and 2006, Table 4 indicates that the number of occupational accidents has increased for both women and men.

**Table 4: Reported accidents per 10,000 employees, by sex, 2001 and 2006**
The table shows the number of occupational accidents per 10,000 employees by sex in 2001 and 2006.
Seriousness	Sex	2001	2006
Fatal accidents*	Women	0.02	0.04
Fatal accidents*	Men	0.27	0.39
Other serious accidents**	Women	12	16
Other serious accidents**	Men	24	26
Other accidents***	Women	122	130
Other accidents***	Men	177	178
Incidence rate for both sexes		170	177

Notes: For an overview of accidents by sex and year, see the report. * The incidences below the value of one have only been included so as not to leave out data; for such low numbers, conclusions must be made with caution. ** Other serious accidents include accidents which have led to amputation, fracture or other injuries on substantial parts of the body. *** Other accidents include injuries such as sprains, wounds, thermal injuries, soft tissue injuries, corrosive burns and poisoning.

Source: AT, 2007

Commentary

After publication of the data, the Danish Minister for Employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, asked AT to thoroughly analyse the underlying causes for the increased number of fatal accidents and other work-related accidents in 2006.

Mette Ballebye and Helle Ourø Nielsen, Oxford Research

Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.

Eurofound (2007), Number of occupational accidents highest in six years, article.