Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Service Banque de données – Département Études & développement
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
FEDRIS
Sterrenkundelaan • Avenue de l’Astronomie 1 1210 Brussel • Bruxelles
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
27 July 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
27 July 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
27 July 2026
3.1. Data description
1. In Belgium there are now different sources for the ESAW-data: for the private sector there are the 10 private insurance companies who are in direct contact with the Fedris DWH - for public sector there is the web application on the portal of our National Office for Social Security, where all public institutions have to enter their accidents (some give permission to their 're-insurer' to transmit the data) (NL, FR).
2. ESAW data and other variables are published annually on the FEDRIS website in excel-tables (Fr, Nl). Since 2023, the reports for private and public sector have been merge.
3. The incidence rates are calculated for each nace-code up to 5 digits; all accidents with at least one day of absence after the day of the accident are taken into account; the incidence rates are calculated based on the amount of hours exposed to the risk (hours worked): NL and FR.
3.2. Classification system
The following classifications are used in ESAW:
NACE Rev. 2: 2nd revision of the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community managed by Eurostat. For ESAW data NACE Rev. 2 is used from reference year 2008 onwards; ISCO-08: International Standard Classification of Occupations managed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) (revision of 2008). ISCO-08 should be used from reference year 2011 onwards; NUTS 2024: Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics. The current NUTS 2024 classification is valid from 1 January 2025, though many datasets will still include other NUTS versions. ICSE-93: International Classification by Status in Employment (revision of 1993)
3.3. Coverage - sector
On January 1, 2014 the data collection of the public sector became operative.
The number of days of absence (of work due to the accident at work) could only be collected by mid 2015.
The periods of absence since January 2014 were then entered into the system.
3.6.5. Additional comments on coverage of accidents outside premises
No additional comments
3.7. Reference area
Accidents at work are a federal (national) matter, so regions are not implicated
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data are available since reference year 1993 for all EU-15 Member States, from 1995 also for Norway.
From reference year 2008, data for all EU Member States (current composition of the EU as of 2020) and EU aggregate are available. Croatian data are included since 2010.
Data for Switzerland was added from 2004 and Icelandic data from 2012. United Kingdom data are available until the reference year 2018.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The following measurement units are used in ESAW data:
Numbers of accidents
Percentages of accidents (in relation to different totals and breakdowns)
Incidence rates of accidents: number of accidents per 100,000 workers
Standardised incidence rates: number of accidents per 100,000 workers adjusted for the relative sizes of economic sectors at EU level (see section 18.6 Adjustment for more details)
Is relevant with metadata at EU level - calendar year
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
For the private sector the law of April 10th, 1971 arranges the whole accidents at work sector in Belgium; the accidents in the public sector are arranged by the law of July 4th, 1967.
The data transmission obligation to Fedris is also inserted in these laws.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
In accordance with the European Data Protection Regulation of 27 April 2016 ("GDPR"), Fedris has appointed a Data Protection Officer. The latter can be reached by e-mail at the following address: privacy@fedris.be or by mail to the following address:
Service Sécurité de l'informationAvenue de l'Astronomie 11210 Bruxelles
Publication happens after approuval of the 'leading comité' (which has representatives of employees and employers), on the Fedris website, accompanied of a short analysis (press release).
Then there is the national DWH on the labour market and social protection which receives data from our DWH to allow complete studies on the socio-economic situation of Belgian citizens in general: Nl and Fr.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not available.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not available.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
If micro-data are disseminated, variables that could lead to the identification of victime or employer (person), are not supplied.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not available.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Not available.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Metadata 100% complete.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available.
11.1. Quality assurance
Several checks are done while the insurance company sends data; error codes are used to refuse non-complying data; same for the public sector, when an institute enters a declaration in the web application.
Besides this, there is a working group concerning the data quality which demands punctual corrections of the different insurance companies.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Our data quality working group aims at continuous improvement of the data collection, besides the annual corrections for the year report.
Current working points are: double declarations, missing periods of absence (missing end date), use of "unknown" as a variable value,...
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Insurance companies use the complete data set to evaluate sectors, to observe evolutions, individual companies (employers) benchmark their own incidence rates; several professional prevention institutes use our data for campaines, political decision making depends on our AW data; unions and employer organisations use the data to communicate to their members. However we have strict rules concerning privacy, so not all demands for information can be answered in the requested detail.
This file contains sections which list in detail the available variables, economic sectors, employment status and information on traffic accidents.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Belgium is more likely to over- than underreport. Considering the missing phase III variables: these are not mentionned/collected on the accident declaration form, so not available in any degree.
12.3.1.1. Global reporting level of Economic sectors (NACE Rev.2) - annual update expected
Considering the Global reporting level, there are no differences between traffic accidents and the others.
12.3.1.2. Additional comments on global reporting level
12.3.1.4. Additional comments on reporting levels by Economic sector (NACE Rev.2)
Most recent version provided
13.1. Accuracy - overall
For private sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies. For public sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies and employeurs, medex, and reinsurances companies.
Until 2014 the Belgian data did not cover the publique administration accident (under-coverage).
However, the web application PUBLIATO collects since january 1, 2014 all public sector data; since May 2015 the periods of absence are collected as well.
As the introduced declarations are used to send the information on to the medical service (MEDEX), the institutes have a solid interest to give in the correct, complete information.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not available.
13.3. Non-sampling error
As Belgium doesn't use surveys in any way to complete our national DWH, we don't apply corrections either.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not available.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not available.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
The national year report for AW is N+12 months.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Approximately 6 months after the end of the reference period.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Approximately 12 months after the end of the reference period.
14.2. Punctuality
Belgium is able to transmit data to Eurostats by end June - begin July the latest.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
See above.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Work accidents are a Belgian federal jurisdiction, the data processing is the same.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
As of 2014 data, the AW of the public sector are also included (web application started on January 1, 2014) - this gives a significant rise in the number of accidents transmitted to Eurostat for Belgium.
The NUTS used is the up to date nuts at the date of sending.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
The last major break for ESAW data was between 2007 and 2008 including a change from NACE Rev.1 to NACE Rev. 2 and concerning the addition of the 13 new Member States which joined the EU in 2004, 2007 and 2013 respectively.
Therefore, the length of comparable ESAW time series is for reference years 2008 - 2017.
NUTS evolves over time.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
ESAW data on non-fatal accidents may be compared with relevant data from the Labour Force Survey ad-hoc modules on accidents at work and other work-related health problems available from the same main data tree branch 'Health and safety at work (hsw)'. However, this comparison should consider the source of data administrative versus self-reported.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Each year, before taking the annual 'picture' all variables' values are compared to previous years' data, followed by demands for corrections at the premises of the insurance companies.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Revisions are made based on statistics published in our annual reports. If updates are necessary, then Belgium will perform them before sending the data to Eurostat.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not available.
18.1. Source data
The National Social Security Office provides the number of positions occupied by quarter and sector over the year. Fedris establishes the average of these positions for private sector for public sector.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Continuous.
18.3. Data collection
Continuous electronic connection: EVA-LEA for private sector - PUBLIATO for public sector.
18.4. Data validation
Annual check before fixing figures for annual report, on completeness, correctness, and consistency (comparison to previous years).
18.5. Data compilation
For private sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies. For public sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies and employeurs, medex, and reinsurances companies.
If Fedris detect an innacuracy, Fedris contact the provider of the data and ask for a correction.
1. In Belgium there are now different sources for the ESAW-data: for the private sector there are the 10 private insurance companies who are in direct contact with the Fedris DWH - for public sector there is the web application on the portal of our National Office for Social Security, where all public institutions have to enter their accidents (some give permission to their 're-insurer' to transmit the data) (NL, FR).
2. ESAW data and other variables are published annually on the FEDRIS website in excel-tables (Fr, Nl). Since 2023, the reports for private and public sector have been merge.
3. The incidence rates are calculated for each nace-code up to 5 digits; all accidents with at least one day of absence after the day of the accident are taken into account; the incidence rates are calculated based on the amount of hours exposed to the risk (hours worked): NL and FR.
27 July 2026
In Belgium we analyse all accidents, also those who don't result in an absence from work (but e.g. have medical expenses).
However, to Eurostat we pass only those accidents resulting in more than 3 days absence from work.
Data are collected for each accident.
If a person is a victim of more than one accident during the reference year, several cases are reported (one for each accident).
If there are several victims in the same event of accident, also several cases are reported (one for each victim).
Belgium reports on employees, students and others; no data available on self-employed or family members.
Accidents at work are a federal (national) matter, so regions are not implicated
Is relevant with metadata at EU level - calendar year
For private sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies. For public sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies and employeurs, medex, and reinsurances companies.
Until 2014 the Belgian data did not cover the publique administration accident (under-coverage).
However, the web application PUBLIATO collects since january 1, 2014 all public sector data; since May 2015 the periods of absence are collected as well.
As the introduced declarations are used to send the information on to the medical service (MEDEX), the institutes have a solid interest to give in the correct, complete information.
The following measurement units are used in ESAW data:
Numbers of accidents
Percentages of accidents (in relation to different totals and breakdowns)
Incidence rates of accidents: number of accidents per 100,000 workers
Standardised incidence rates: number of accidents per 100,000 workers adjusted for the relative sizes of economic sectors at EU level (see section 18.6 Adjustment for more details)
For private sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies. For public sector, Fedris collect the data from insurances companies and employeurs, medex, and reinsurances companies.
If Fedris detect an innacuracy, Fedris contact the provider of the data and ask for a correction.
The National Social Security Office provides the number of positions occupied by quarter and sector over the year. Fedris establishes the average of these positions for private sector for public sector.
Annual.
The national year report for AW is N+12 months.
Work accidents are a Belgian federal jurisdiction, the data processing is the same.
As of 2014 data, the AW of the public sector are also included (web application started on January 1, 2014) - this gives a significant rise in the number of accidents transmitted to Eurostat for Belgium.
The NUTS used is the up to date nuts at the date of sending.
