German Social Accident Insurance: the booming economy and poor weather conditions last year caused the number of occupational and commuting accidents to rise

31-Mar-2011

The number of reportable occupational and commuting accidents rose appreciably last year. This can be seen from the provisional figures from the German accident insurance institutions announced today in Berlin by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). According to these figures, occupational accidents numbered 964,144, 8.8% more than in the previous year. 224,110 accidents occurred during journeys to and from work, an increase of 25.5% over 2009. Claims were also up in the German Social Accident Insurance for students.

"A growing economy and rising employment rates typically translate into an increase in the absolute number of occupational accidents," says Dr. Joachim Breuer, Director General of the DGUV. "This need not automatically mean that the relative accident risk is also increasing." Whether this is in fact the case, says Breuer, will not be clear until the summer, when the full accounts and statistics for 2010, including the number of hours worked, become available. Last year, the statutory accident insurance institutions paid new pensions to 16,629 insured individuals following occupational accidents, and to 6,068 insured individuals following commuting accidents.

"Sadly, the number of accident fatalities has risen," continues Breuer. In 2010, 524 people died in occupational accidents, 369 in commuting accidents. "Serious accidents continue to occur, particularly on the roads, and all the more so in snowy and icy conditions such as those which we experienced much more than usual in 2010," he explains. It is therefore important that more be done in order to prevent accidents. To this end, the statutory accident insurance institutions support businesses and insured individuals with specific services, including within their "Fight the Risk" campaign.

A similar situation can be seen in the students' accident insurance, which covers schoolchildren, students and children in children's day-care facilities. The responsible accident insurance institutions recorded 1,295,734 reportable accidents among students, school and preschool children in 2010 – 3.6% more than in the previous year – and 123,665 commuting accidents among this group, a 7% increase over 2009. The number of new disability pensions resulting from an accident at or on the way to or from an educational establishment fell by 118 to 947. Seven fatal accidents occurred at educational establishments, 51 on journeys to or from them.

Background

Commuting accidents are accidents occurring during journeys directly to or from work or an educational establishment. An occupational or commuting accident must be reported to the statutory accident insurance institutions when it leads to incapacity for work for over three days, or is fatal. Accident insurance for students is an exception: accidents suffered by students and schoolchildren must be reported if they are fatal, and also if they are followed by medical treatment. The German accident insurance institutions insure some 75 million people in Germany against the risk of occupational and commuting accidents, accidents in educational establishments, and occupational diseases.