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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 decreased in 2017 by 0.4 % in relation to the previous year to 75,187. Each reported suspected case triggers an investigation.
  • 77,330 investigations were completed in 2017. An occupational disease was formally recognized in 19,794 of these cases (- 3.6 %), and a pension awarded in 4,956 cases (- 7.6 %). In a further 18,286 cases (- 6.3 %), 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 ยง 3 (regulation governing occupational disease). In 49.2 % of the investigations completed in 2017, the occupational cause of the disease was confirmed (38,080 cases). In the remaining 39,250 cases (- 1.8 %), 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.
  • 2,580 fatalities caused by occupational disease were recorded in the reporting year. The majority of these were attributable to inorganic dusts, particularly asbestos.
2016 2017 Change in %
Notifications of suspected cases 75,491 75,187 - 0.40
Occupational causation confirmed 40,056 38,080 - 4.93
Of which:
Recognized cases of OD 1 20,539 19,794 - 3.63
of which: New pensions 5,365 4,956 - 7.62
Cases with absense of additionally required insurance characteristics 19,517 18,286 - 6.31
Occupational causation not confirmed 39,973 39,250 - 1.81
Decided cases, total 80,029 77,330 - 3.37
Fatalities due to OD 2,573 2,580 + 0.27

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