Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

FAQ

1. What kind of information and training does the employer have to provide toemployees?

   Employees should receive training to obtain a certain level of knowledge,skills, and motivation to carry out their tasks without any risks, for theirown or others’ safety, health, or well-being, and to make employees awareof the risks.

   Training should be given before starting the working activity (to temporaryemployees and to contractors too). The information should be repeated on a regularbasis. The training should be adapted to the employee’s level of education.The training should be evaluated to make sure employees have assimilated theinformation.

2. What accident legislation is applicable when an employee is at work in anotherEuropean country?

   In principle, the national legislation of the respective European countryapplies to employees working in another European country. Detailed informationon these legislations and the conditions of work, such as social security orsocial benefit schemes, is available on the Europasite.

3. Do companies need to hire someone to take care of the prevention of work-relatedaccidents?

   If the companies cannot organise such protective and preventive measures themselves,owing to a lack of competent personnel in the enterprise and/or establishment,the employer should engage external services or persons to do this.

   If the employer hires such services or persons, he should inform them of thefactors known to affect, or suspected of affecting, the safety and health ofthe workers. This is laid down in Council Directive 89/391/EECof 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements inthe safety and health of workers at work

4. Are young workers particularly at risk of accidents at work?

   Young workers are indeed an important category of worker at risk (as are newworkers in a workplace). Factors such as lack of experience give rise to anincreased probability of industrial accidents. This is why greater attentionwith regard to training, information, and supervision of young workers is required.

   In the light of the vulnerability of this group of workers, a specific directivehas been issued, obliging companies to pay particular attention to them. Thiswas Directive 93/33/CE of the Council of 22 June 1994 concerning the protectionof young workers. The directive “young workers” and its mainobjective in this sense is to prohibit the employment of child labour. It thendeals with specific prescriptions with regard to the protection of these workers,the evaluation of the risks of their work and a prohibition against performingcertain work (such as work exceeding their physical or mental capacities orwork that would expose them to dangerous substances).

5. Which enterprises are most likely to have accidents?

   The highest rates were recorded in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).In companies employing 10 - 49 people, the rate of accidents leading to threeor more days’ absence from work in 1998 was 1.26 times the average. Thehighest rates were recorded in transport (1.43 times the sector average), construction,and manufacturing (1.2). Similar rates were found in companies employing 1-9people, with manufacturing, construction, and transport again leading the field(1.1-1.3 times the sector average).

6. What is the worker’s role in accident prevention?

   Employees have to take care of their own safety and the health and safety ofother persons who could be affected by their acts as far as possible. So forexample, they have to ensure the correct use of work equipment and plant, dangeroussubstances, transport equipment, and other means of production, and to use personalprotective equipment in the correct way in accordance with instruction and training.They should never arbitrarily change or remove safety devices fitted to machines,apparatuses, tools, or other means of production and use each safety devicecorrectly. They should inform the employer of any work situation that posesa serious danger.

   Employees have to be consulted on health and safety measures and before newtechnology or products are introduced. Consultation helps to ensure that workersare committed to safety and health procedures and improvements.

   Employees should be involved in all steps of accident prevention that makeup the problem-solving cycle: needs analysis, priorities setting, planning,implementation, ongoing checks and evaluation. Involving the employees in riskassessment and risk prevention has been proven to reduce the number of accidents.

7. Does accident-proneness exist?

   Accident proneness theory maintains that some workers are more liable to beinvolved in accidents. This theory is not generally accepted and researchershave not been able to prove the existence of ‘accident proneness’.However, there are reasons for high risks of workplace accidents and why someoccupational groupings are more likely to be involved in accidents.

   People who work nightshifts are more prone to accidents because their reactionsand concentration decline at night. Even employees who have been working lessthan 2 years at their place of work are more liable to have accidents than employeeswith more experience. Understanding the causes of accidents and establishinga safety management system (risk assessment) could help to prevent accidents at work.

8. What is European legislation relates to accident prevention?

   A distinction can be made between economic and social regulations. Althoughtheir final objectives differ (‘the single market’ versus ‘theprotection of workers’), they both include provisions that implicitlyor explicitly aim to reduce accidents, and thus serve to protect the populationas a whole or workers/consumers as specific groups.

   • Economic directives deal with construction and the use of materials (CElabel) and the production and putting onto the market of dangerous substances.
   • Social directives are aimed specifically at encouraging the improvementof the safety and health of the workers at their place of work and prescribeonly minimum requirements.

   The most important directive is Council Directive 89/391/EECof 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements inthe safety and health of workers at work (the “Framework” directive).This Directive sets a framework with general obligations to ensure a minimumof protection for all workers throughout the Member States. Individual or specificdirectives that cover specific areas, such as workspaces, work equipment, manualhandling, and pregnant workers supplement the Framework Directive.

   The EUR-LEX site gives full textof Directives in all Member State languages

9. What is an accident at work?

   Eurostat define an accident as "a discrete occurrence in the course ofwork which leads to physical or mental harm". However, this definitionof an accident at work is not based on European legislation, it is onlyused for collecting statistics. Member States may have their own definitionof an accident.

10. What are the most common causes of accidents in the European Union?

    Eurostat gives some statistical information on the types of accidents suffered in serious accidents

    Part of the body injured:

    • Upper limbs - 41.2% (1.6%)
    • Lower limbs – 26.5% (2.2%)
    • Head – 9.2% (28.2%)
    • Torso – 5.2% (10.7%)
    • Whole body – 2.7% (31.2%)
    • Other and unspecified – 15.2% (26.1%)

    Type of Injury:

    • Wounds and superficial injuries – 37.6% (0%)
    • Bone fractures – 10.8% (19.7%)
    • Dislocations, sprains, strains – 24.4% (0%)
    • Concussions and internal injuries – 11.3% (6.5%)
    • Multiple injuries – 0.2% (10%)
    • Other and unspecified – 15.7% (73.7%)

    Slips, trips and falls are the largest cause of accidents in all sectors fromheavy manufacturing through to office work. In the Member States, they havebeen identified as the main causes of accidents that result in more than 3 days absence from work.

11. When is a road accident an occupational accident?

    There can be some discussion over whether an accident is a road accident oroccupational accident. Eurostat’s definitionof an accident at work “includes cases of road traffic accidents aswell as accidents in public places or means of transport during a journey inthe course of work”. However, Member States may not use this definition,so check with the national authorities.

12. What are direct accident costs?

    Direct costs are those costs that are accrued directly from the accident.They are quite easy to calculate, and include the medical costs incurred andthe compensation payments made to the injured workers. Direct costs are usuallyinsurable by Enterprises.
    What are indirect accident costs?

    Indirect costs are the less obvious consequences of an accident that can becosted. While the indirect costs created by accidents are hidden, they too mustbe paid from profits from the sale of products. They are more difficult to calculateand tend not to be insured. Indirect costs include:

    • Time away from the job not covered by workers' compensation insurance;
    • Payment of other workers who are not injured, for example those who stoppedwork to look after or help the injured worker and those who require outputfrom the injured in order to complete their tasks;
    • The cost of damage to materials or equipment;
    • The cost of overtime imposed by the accident (lost production, additionalsupervision, and additional heat, light, etc.);
    • The cost of wages paid to the supervisor for time spent on activities relatedto the accident. This includes caring for the injured, investigating the accident,and supervising the activities necessary to resume the operation of business.All of these activities will disrupt the supervisor's productivity;
    • Costs associated with instructing, training, and repositioning employeesin order to resume production. In some cases, it might even be necessary tohire a replacement with all the associated hiring costs;
    • Medical costs paid by the employer that are not covered by the insurance.This may include treatment facilities, personnel, equipment and supplies;
    • Cost of managers and clerical personnel investigating and processing claimforms and related paperwork, telephone calls, interviews, etc.;
    • Wage costs due to decreased productivity once the injured employee returnsto work. This is due to restricted movement or nervousness/cautiousness onthe part of the injured employee and time spent discussing the accident withother employees etc..
      

13. What liaison should there be between employers when employees are workingin the workplace of another employer?

    Many accidents occur due to misunderstandings or lack of clarity of responsibilitieson shared sites. Employers should cooperate in implementing the safety and occupationalhygiene provisions and cooperate their actions in matters of protection andprevention of occupational risks.

    These risks can be reduced through adequate provision of information and trainingfrom the start of employment. Therefore, employers should inform one anotherand their workers of the possible and existing risks. OSH responsibilities shouldbe spelled out in the contracts.

    See also CouncilDirective 91/383/EEC of 25 June 1991 supplementing the measures to encourageimprovements in the safety and health at work of workers with a fixed- durationemployment relationship or a temporary employment relationship.

14. Where is further information available?

    The European Agency for Safety and Healthat Work publishes a large amount of information on the prevention of accidentsat work.

    The EuropeanCommission Directorate General for Employment and Social Affairs has thetask of contributing to the development of a modern, innovative and sustainableEuropean Social Model with more and better jobs in an inclusive society basedon equal opportunities.

    It plays a key role in promoting positive interaction between economic, socialand employment policies, bringing in the main players who can help to achievethe EU strategic objective, viz. to make Europe the world most competitive anddynamic knowledge-based economy, capable of sustainable economic growth, withmore and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

15. Does an employee need to report a dangerous situation?

    Safety is everybody’s business. Creating a safe working environmentis not only the task of a few designated people within the company. The missionof contributing to the introduction and maintenance of safe working conditions,while participating in the detection of risk and danger, is a matter for all.All employees should communicate any potentially dangerous situation they observe.

    Employees can, by observing certain particular situations, help to achievesafer working conditions. It is up to them to communicate and to inform somebodyin authority about this particular situation. The employer should be able torely on this information ‘from on the ground’” so that heor she can develop an effective prevention policy.

    Several processes are in place for informing somebody in authority when a dangeroussituation has been detected. Although the simplest and fastest way is by oralnotification, it is preferable for a written document to be used. Many companieshave a specific form or log book for employees to notify danger. This documentalso serves as a reminder to ensure that a remedy to the notified situationis not overlooked.

    An employee should immediately report a dangerous situation to their employer(or superior) and/or to the employee with specific responsibilities for thesafety and health of workers. This is laid down in Council Directive 89/391/EECof 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements inthe safety and health of workers at work.

    By fostering a positive safety culture and encouraging workers to report issuesand incidents such as “near misses”, employers can, by followingup these reports, gain positive business benefits such as improved productivity.

16. Which industry sectors are most dangerous?

    Eurostat gives some statistical information on the breakdown of accidents by work sector (more than 3 days absence from work).

    Accident incidence rate 1998 per 100,000 persons in employment (fatal accidents)by economic activity:

    • Agriculture, hunting, and forestry – 6790 (12.4)
    • Manufacturing – 4492 (3.7)
    • Electricity, water, and gas supply – 1625 (3.2)
    • Construction – 8008 (12.8)
    • Wholesale and retail trade – 2451 (2.5)
    • Hotels and restaurants – 3590 (1.3)
    • Transport, storage, and communication – 5862 (11.8)
    • Financial intermediation – 1623 (1.7)

17. How can incidents or near accidents be used to prevent work-related accidents?

    Enterprises should investigate all the causes of industrial accidents, includingminor accidents and near-accidents, to find identify measures that can be takento increase worker safety.

    Studying the causes and consequences of minor accidents and near-accidentsprovides data on potential accidents, their causes, and possible consequences,even in companies with a strict safety culture. Minor accidents should be regardedas a wake up call, warning us to take action. Studying minor accidents and near-accidentsmakes it possible to update and if necessary adapt the relevant safety procedures.

    An effective minor accident registration system should record all minor accidentsand near-accidents because these are far more common (whether or not any damageis caused) than accidents that are more serious. Research into minor accidentsand near-accidents produces statistically relevant data for the performanceof ‘root cause analyses’.