Occupational diseases (ODs)

• In the area of responsibility of the accident insurance institutions within the industrial and public sectors and of pupil accident insurance institutions, the number of notifications of suspected cases of occupational disease rose in 2010 by 5.0 % in relation to the previous year, to 70,277. Each reported suspected case triggers an investigation.
• 69,186 investigations were completed in 2010. An occupational disease was formally recognized in 15,461 of these cases (-3.8 %), and a pension awarded in 6,123 cases (-7.8%). In a further 15,758 cases ¹ (+66.0 %), the disease was found to be occupational in origin, but the specific regulatory insurance provisions governing legal recognition of an occupational disease were not satisfied. An example of such cases are skin diseases where the hazardous activity has not ceased. Measures for individual prevention and medical rehabilitation are nevertheless provided where applicable in such cases in accordance with the BKV § 3 (regulation governing occupational disease). In 45.1 % of the investigations completed in 2010 (31,219 cases), the occupational cause of the disease was confirmed. In the remaining 37,967 cases (+2.2 %), the suspicion of an occupational disease was not confirmed, either because no corresponding hazard could be found at the workplace, or because no relationship was identified between such exposure and the disease.

• 2,486 fatalities caused by occupational disease were recorded in the reporting year. The majority of these were attributable to inorganic dusts, particularly asbestos.

   

	2009	2010	Change in %
Notifications of suspected cases	66,951	70,277	+	5.0
Occupational causation confirmed	25,570	31,219	+	22.1
Of which:
Recognized cases of OD	16,078	15,461	-	3.8
of which: New pensions	6,643	6,123	-	7.8
Cases with absense of additionally required insurance characteristics1	9,492	15,758	+	66.0
Occupational causation not confirmed	37,132	37,967	+	2.2
Decided cases, total	62,702	69,186	+	10.3
Fatalities due to OD	2,767	2,486	-	10.2

¹ The reason for the increase in cases where an occupational cause was confirmed, but where the legal requirements aren't met, is the improvement of the documentation of § 3 of the German ordinance on Occupational Diseases step 1 of the phased procedure "skin".