Clear decrease in 2009 in the risk of accidents at work

Number of occupational diseases on the rise – slight increase in statutory accident insurance premiums

05-Jul-2010

The risk of suffering an occupational accident at work fell to a new low in 2009. This can be seen from the financial results of the statutory accident insurance institutions, which were presented in july in Berlin by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). According to these figures, the risk fell from 26.8 to 24.3 occupational accidents per 1,000 equivalent full workers. Owing to changes in the legislation, the number of cases of occupational disease rose significantly. In addition, increased expenditure and falling total wage costs led to the average statutory accident insurance premium rising slightly in 2009, following successive falls in the two preceding years.

"At no time in the 125-year history of the German statutory accident insurance system has the risk of an accident at the workplace been this low," says Dr. Joachim Breuer, Director General of the DGUV. "The fear that during the economic crisis, employers would cut costs in the area of safety and health has therefore been proved incorrect." He points out that the record low figures continue the decreasing trend that has been seen for many years. Since the 1960s, the frequency of reportable occupational accidents in Germany has dropped by almost 80%. "Our close co-operation with employers and insured individuals in the area of prevention has been a major reason for this development," says Breuer. The accident insurance institutions, he says, have consistently invested in the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases ever since their foundation.

In absolute terms, reportable occupational accidents numbered 886,122 in 2009, 8.8% fewer than in the previous year. The number of reportable commuting accidents rose slightly to 178,590, an increase of 1%. New disability pensions resulting from an occupational or commuting accident numbered 22,534. The occupational accident insurance institutions recorded 456 fatal occupational accidents and 362 fatal commuting accidents.

Number of deaths resulting from occupational diseases reaches a new high
Substantial increases were observed in the figures for cases of formally recognized occupational diseases. The number of reported suspected cases rose by over 10% to 66,951. For 25,570 insured individuals, the suspicion was confirmed. An occupational disease was formally recognized in 16,078 of these cases, a rise of 23.9%. 6,643 new pensions resulting from occupational disease were awarded in 2009. "This increase is primarily a result of changes in the legislation," says Breuer. "These changes enabled us to recognize several hundred cases of emphysematous bronchitis among miners for which we had not previously been allowed to pay compensation."

The number of fatalities caused by occupational disease rose to 2,767, a new record high. In the majority of cases, inorganic dust, primarily asbestos, was the cause.

Rising costs for rehabilitation and pensions
In 2009, the German statutory accident insurance institutions spent around €300 million more on rehabilitation and compensation than in the previous year. Employers in the private sector were required to raise a total of around €9.5 billion for the contribution target of the accident insurance institutions. The average premium paid to the accident insurance institutions rose as a result to 1.31% per €100 of employee remuneration. Says Breuer: "This is due in part to the higher costs. Above all, however, the total wage costs in Germany have fallen by over €13 billion as a result of short-time working, with a corresponding fall in the total remuneration on the basis of which premiums are calculated." In addition, in contrast to the other branches of the social insurance system, the statutory accident insurance institutions receive no state subsidies for short-time working.

For the insurance of its employees and of schoolchildren and students, the state paid €1.2 billion to the public-sector accident insurance institutions.

Fewer accidents among students and schoolchildren
In 2009, the public-sector accident insurers and municipal accident insurers responsible for the German Social Accident Insurance for students recorded a fall in the number of accidents in schools, universities and children's day-care facilities. The number of accidents in this area fell by 6%, to 1,250,552. 115,534 insured individuals suffered an accident on a journey to or from their place of education. In 1,065 cases, insured individuals received a pension for the first time owing to an accident at their place of education or on the journey to or from it. A total of 59 accidents in this category were fatal; 45 of these were commuting accidents.

Background: the German statutory accident insurance system
The German Social Accident Insurance is a branch of Germany's social insurance system. The responsible institutions, i.e. the accident insurance institutions for the private and public sectors, insure around 75 million people in Germany against occupational and commuting accidents, accidents in educational establishments, accidents suffered by volunteers, and occupational diseases.