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National reference metadata

Slovakia

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.

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Accidents at work (ESAW, 2008 onwards) (hsw_acc_work)

National Reference Metadata in Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)

Compiling agency: The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic / The National Labour Inspectorate

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An accident at work is defined as ,,a discrete occurrence in the course of work which leads to physical or mental harm“. Data include accidents at work of employees involving more than 3 calendar days of absence from work, serious bodily harm or death of employee as consequence of accident at work.

At national level data on accidents at work in compliance with ESAW methodology are obtained only from administrative data sources in compliance with valid methodology and definitions of Eurostat, namely from the National Labour Inspectorate and the Main Mining Office. The national ESAW sources are declarations of registered accidents at work to relevant national authorities (labour inspectorates or supervisory body) in terms of Act No. 124/2006 on Occupational Safety and Health Protection and on the Amendment of Certain Acts.

The National Labour Inspectorate, which has authority over 8 Regional Labour Inspectorates, keeps a record of accidents at work only for organisations belonging to the sphere of authority of labour inspection. The Main Mining Office as organisation integrated into structure of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, registers at the level of the District Mining Offices cases of accidents at work within organisations under their authority (for the sphere of supervision of state mining administration). Records of accidents at work are managed for 5 District Mining Offices (Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, Košice, Prievidza and Spišská Nová Ves).

At national level in ESAW statistics there are not covered accidents at work for power departments (namely Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (Police Force, Fire and Safeguarding Brigade), Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic (Armed Forces and Intelligence Service), Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic (Prison and Judicial Guard) and Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic (Customs Offices)) as they are  subject to national confidentiality rules in terms of Act No. 215/2004 on protection of classified information and on the Amendments of Certain Acts.

The national database covers in compliance with ESAW methodology all variables defined by Commission Regulation (EU) No 349/2011, including complete coverage of ESAW phase III variables.

For the reference year 2013 accidents at work under authority of the Main Mining Office were also covered for the first time.

Data on accidents at work are released yearly in form of tables and charts on website of the National Labour Inspectorate (www.nip.sk) and the Main Mining Office (www.hbu.sk).   

27 June 2024

ESAW data sets comprise all required variables in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 349/2011, i.e. all variables of ESAW phases I, II and III.

From the reference year 2013 the variable RTA (Road traffic accidents) is provided as well and coverage of sector B (Mining and quarrying) of NACE Rev.2 classification is ensured due to data from the Main Mining Office.

The variables are in accordance with the ESAW definitions, bias is in the case of variable "Size of enterprise", which refers to the size of enterprise, not to the size of local unit as it is required by the ESAW methodology.

Definition of an accident at work is listed in part 3.1.  

The statistical unit of observation for ESAW statistics is an accident at work. Each case of accident at work that caused more than 3 calendar days of absence from work, serious bodily harm or death of employee as consequence of accident at work is recorded. The notification form on registered accident at work is needed to be done at least to 4 days after announcement of happening of accident at work. The employer has a legal obligation to notify an accident at work immediately to relevant Labour Inspectorate or relevant supervisory body, if it is the case of accident with serious bodily harm or with consequence of death and to send a notification form on accident at work up to 8 days (from the day, when employer was informed about it) to relevant Labour Inspectorate or supervisory body.

ESAW data sets comprise all required variables in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 349/2011, i.e. all variables of ESAW phases I, II and III.

In terms of coverage of professional status data sets include employees, trainees/apprentices and students. (In the case of trainees/apprentices and students there are covered only accidents in practical (professional) training at an employer, not cases if accident happened in time of theoretical and practical education at school.) Data sets do not cover self-employed and family workers.   

From the reference year 2013 the variable RTA (Road traffic accidents) is provided and all sectors of economic activities NACE Rev.2 are fully covered, with the exception of sector O (Public administration and defences, compulsory social security). This sector is partly covered as it does not cover service accidents at works of power departments that are subject to national confidentiality rules in terms of Act No. 215/2004 on protection of classified information and on the Amendments of Certain Acts, namely: Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (Police Force, Fire and Safeguarding Brigade), Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic (Armed Forces and Intelligence Service), Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic (Prison and Judicial Guard) and Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic (Customs Offices). From the reference year 2013 the coverage of sector B (Mining and quarrying) of NACE Rev.2 classification is ensured due to data from the Main Mining Office.

For ESAW statistics the whole territory of the Slovak Republic is covered.

Outputs are available in forms of aggregates; in terms of regions outputs are available for NUTS 3 level. 

The reference period is a calendar year; data is transmitted by 30 June of each year N for the calendar year N - 2.

Last released data referes to the reference year 2022.

ESAW data is based only on administrative data collection and the original national data sources are notification forms on registered accident at work, which employers are obliged to send to the relevant national authorities (labour inspectorates or supervisory bodies).

Potential biases, which can have impact on ESAW data accuracy, can be under-coverage (see parts 3.3, 12.3, 12.3.1 and 19) and under-reporting mainly in case of non-fatal and less serious accidents at work. Potential biases can be caused also by codding errors as coding of data on accidents at work is performed by employers and it could be also cases, where matching of data of National Labour Inspectorate and Social Insurance Agency concerning numbers of lost days (variable SEV) was not successful.

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)

National ESAW database is compiled from the relevant national administrative data sources – the National Labour Inspectorate and the Main Mining Office; the source of data on number of days lost (severity) for relevant accidents at work is the Social Insurance Agency. As ESAW data is based only on administrative data collection, none of the following procedures were applied: imputations, weighting, calibration and non-response adjustments.     

ESAW data are at national level received from the relevant national administrative sources – the National Labour Inspectorate and the Main Mining Office; the source for data on number of days lost (severity) for relevant accidents at work is the Social Insurance Agency. The original national data sources are notification forms on registered accident at work, which employers are obliged to send to relevant national authorities (labour inspectorates or supervisory bodies) in accordance with Act No. 124/2006 on Occupational Safety and Health Protection and on the Amendment of Certain Acts. The number of employed persons is taken from the EU Labour Force Survey.       

Yearly.

National data on accidents at work are available about 2 to 3 months after the end of reference year, in which the accident occured.

ESAW database is yearly transmitted to Eurostat up to 18 months after the end of the reference year according to Commission Regulation (EU) No. 349/2011.

In the ESAW data, there is no problem of comparability between geographical areas in Slovakia.

Concerning comparability over time - ESAW datasets for the Slovak Republic are comparable since 2008.

The NACE Rev.2 classification of economic activities is used.

From the reference year 2013 the sector B (Mining and quarrying) is covered due to data from the Main Mining Office.