A healthcare worker looks outside a window while wearing a medical mask

Occupational COVID-19 cases in 2020 were reported as accidents at work or cases of occupational disease. 

In 2020, 5% of work accidents in the EU were due to COVID-19, and 8% of recognised occupational diseases were COVID-19 cases. Over 148 000 COVID-19-related work accidents occurred, while 9 113 COVID-19 cases were reported as cases of occupational disease.

In the same year, the human health and social work sector accounted for 76% of occupational COVID-19 cases reported as work accidents. This sector also made up 74% of occupational COVID-19 cases reported as occupational disease cases. Public administration, defence, compulsory social security and manufacturing were the other most affected sectors for both work accidents and occupational diseases concerning COVID-19.

 

Bar graph: Top 5 economic sectors affected by occupational COVID-19, 2020, in %

Source dataset: Eurostat’s calculations based on ESAW, EODS data collections

Occupational COVID-19: workers’ profiles 

The analysis of work accidents and occupational diseases data reveals that female workers had a higher number of cases than male workers (73% of occupational COVID-19 cases reported as accidents at work and 72% reported as occupational disease). The most affected age group was 45-54 years old (33% and 27% among the age groups). 

 

Bar graph: Occupational COVID-19 cases by age group, 2020, in %

 Source dataset: Eurostat’s calculations based on ESAW, EODS data collections
 

The health sector, specifically human health and social work activities, was the most impacted (23% of work accidents reported in this sector were occupational COVID-19 cases and 39% of occupational diseases recorded in the sector were classified as occupational COVID-19 cases). However, the affected occupational groups differed: health-associated professionals had the largest share of COVID-19-related work accidents (35% among the occupational groups), while personal care workers had the largest share of COVID-19 cases recorded as cases of occupational disease (15%).

This information is being published to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is held on 28 April. 

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Methodological notes:

  • Occupational diseases – experimental statistics: data not available for Germany, Greece and Portugal. 
  • Health-associated professionals: tasks include clinical tests on specimens of bodily fluids and tissues, and occupations include Medical and Pharmaceutical Technicians or Nursing Associate Professionals. 
  • Personal care workers: tasks include providing care, supervision, and assistance for children, patients, and elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons in institutional and residential settings.
  • Health and Safety at Work Statistics (Occupational Health) produce a wide range of information about accidents at the workplace and occupational diseases. These data are collected and reported annually as part of two collections: European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) and European Occupational Diseases Statistics (EODS) experimental statistics.
  • Eurostat did not create separate tables for occupational COVID-19 cases due to varying approaches by countries in recognising such cases. 
  • The recognition and compensation of work accidents or occupational diseases are determined nationally. National authorities also decide on measures to protect people from SARS-CoV-2 exposure or infection. Workers in specific sectors who contract COVID-19 at work may gain certain rights according to national rules. All 27 EU countries acknowledge the occupational risk of COVID-19, but differ in how they investigate cases, which sectors and occupations are included, and whether it is limited to the health sector.

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