In the European Union (EU) in 2016 there were 3 182 fatal accidents at the work place. This represents a standardised incidence rate of 2.2 fatal accidents per 100,000 workers, which is 12 % below the rate in 2009 (2.5 %).
The source dataset can be found here.
Across the EU Member States, the lowest standardised incidence rates in 2016 were registered in the Netherlands (0.7 per 100,000 workers), Germany (1.1), Sweden (1.2) and the United Kingdom (1.5).
Fatal accidents are defined as those that lead to the death of the victim within one year after the accident took place. In more general terms, an accident at work is defined as an occurrence in the course of work, which leads to physical or mental harm of the person concerned. The number of accidents in a particular year is likely to be related to some extent to the overall level of economic activity of a country and the total number of people employed in its economy. Standardised incidence rates aim to eliminate differences in the structures of countries' economies. They correspond to the number of accidents per 100 000 workers adjusted for the relative sizes of economic sectors at EU level. The economic activities covered in this news item are NACE sections A and C-N.
This information is published to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work, which is held on 28 April.
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