Occupational diseases (ODs)

The figures of the year 2020 are strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 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 increased in 2020 by 32.9 % in relation to the previous year to 106,491. Each reported suspected case triggers an investigation.
• 101.206 investigations were completed in 2020. An occupational disease was formally recognized in 37,181 of these cases (+ 104.8 %). In a further 15,775 cases (- 7.8 %), 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. Examples 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 52.3 % of the investigations completed in 2020, the occupational cause of the disease was confirmed (52.956 cases). In the remaining 48,250 cases (+ 12.3 %), 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. In addition, 5,056 pensions were awarded (+ 8.3 %).
• 2,380 fatalities caused by occupational disease were recorded in the reporting year. The majority of these were attributable to inorganic dusts, particularly asbestos.