Help, accident at work!

What those affected, helpers and employers must do if prevention fails and an accident at work occurs.

The aim of prevention in occupational safety is to avoid accidents. Nevertheless, almost 784,000 reportable workplace accidents occurred in 2023. Mandatory reporting means that employers must report accidents to the relevant statutory accident insurance institution if employees are unable to work for more than three days or if insured persons are killed. The Ordinance on the Notification of Insurance Cases in Statutory Accident Insurance (UVAV) regulates the notification of reportable accidents and occupational illnesses. And according to DGUV Regulation 1, all first aid provided in the company must be documented. It is essential that companies systematically record all types of accidents and derive key figures on accident occurrence from this. Suitable tools make the work easier.

What is an accident at work?

Accidents are temporary events that affect the body from the outside and lead to damage to health or death. The German Social Code (SGB VII) defines accidents at work as "accidents suffered by insured persons as a result of an insured activity", e.g. also during the maintenance of work equipment, participation in company sports, company outings or a company party, as well as accidents on the way to and from work (commuting accidents). Across all industries, accidents caused by tripping, falling and slipping are among the most common types of accident. ISO 45001 for SGA management systems, which has been in force since 2018, introduces the term "incident". The accident pyramid compares the frequency and severity of SGA incidents. The model, which was created on behalf of ConocoPhilipps in 2003, includes, for example (from base to top)

• Unsafe behavior
• Near misses
• Non-reportable and reportable accidents
• Fatal accidents

According to this model, one fatal accident occurs for every 30,000 cases of unsafe behavior.

The most common accidents in companies are more or less serious incidents caused by slipping or tripping

Applicable regulations

Employers must report accidents if employees are unable to work for more than three days or if insured persons are killed (§ 193 SGB VII). The report must be made within three days of the employer becoming aware of the accident.

In the case of accidents at work, insurance cover is provided by the responsible accident insurance institution (UV institution), e.g. the responsible employers' liability insurance association or accident insurance fund. The accident insurance institution first checks whether the accident is materially related to the employment relationship. Once this has been clarified, it will cover the costs of medical treatment, necessary remedies, hospitalization or rehabilitation, for example.

Incidentally, insurance cover for accidents does not only apply to employees, but also to schoolchildren attending school, children in a daycare center or people who have provided first aid.

Obligations of the employer

The Accident Insurance Notification Ordinance (UVAV) stipulates, among other things, that accident reports must be submitted electronically. The accident insurance institutions must provide electronic access for this purpose. However, a transitional period applies until 31.12.2027: until then, the previously used sample forms may still be used and transmitted to the accident insurance institution. The UVAV also regulates which data must be transmitted: General data (§ 3) relates to the employee. Additional data (§ 4) includes information on the place and time of the accident, description of the course of events, type of injury and injured body parts as well as any witnesses.

In contrast to the accident report, the accident report for accidents that do not have to be reported is generally for internal use. The form of the accident report is not prescribed. Companies can create their own templates or use existing forms.

Implementation in practice Learning from accidents

In addition to the obligation to report accidents and the electronic transmission of data in the case of reportable accidents, the risk assessment must be updated when accidents and near misses occur. Identified risks and hazards are incorporated and suitable measures can be derived. Unsafe behavior and near misses should also be analyzed.

The analysis of accidents - reportable and non-reportable - ideally takes place in six steps:

• Accident investigation: collect information, including photos, accident sketches, measurements, descriptions of the course of the accident, evaluations, evidence
• Compile facts: List all known facts
• Determine causes: e.g. with fault (cause) tree, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Develop solutions to prevent future hazards
• Action plan: Who, what, by when, with what
• Effectiveness check: Have the defined measures been implemented and are they effective?

Accident black spots can be identified from the data collected. Important key figures in the company's accident history include accident frequency, types of accident, types of injury and sick days per 1,000 employees.

Significance of unsafe behavior or near misses: Unsafe behavior occurs, for example, when employees lack the relevant knowledge or are expected to meet conflicting objectives. Unsafe conditions and actions could result in harm if no corrective action is taken.

Near misses do not result in serious personal injury or property damage, but they could have happened. Companies and employees can safely learn from near misses: they provide important information on hazards and enable improvement measures for the safety and health of employees.

Forklift trucks pose underestimated dangers. When accidents do occur, they are usually of a serious nature with severe injuries

First aid book is mandatory

All first aid provided in the company must be documented, often in the first aid book on paper or electronically. The information must be treated confidentially and kept for at least five years (Section 24 (6) DGUV Regulation 1).

In order for an accident to be recognized as an occupational accident, at least the following must be recorded Name of the injured or ill person, date and time, place, course of events, nature and extent of the injury or illness as well as date and time of first aid, first aid measures, name of the first aider and, if applicable, of witnesses. The information serves as proof that an injury to health occurred during an insured activity. The required information is particularly important if there are long-term consequences, e.g. inflammation after minor cuts or stab wounds.

Possible work aids

Record all SGA incidents: Statutory accident insurance providers offer sample forms and electronic access for accident reports. However, if companies want to systematically record and evaluate all SGA incidents, software is more suitable than different lists: relevant data can be recorded, assigned to the risk assessment and important key figures can be determined.

Digital first-aid book: Here too, employers' liability insurance associations provide templates, mostly in paper form. A digital first-aid book offers advantages: It ensures a systematic approach. Data protection in accordance with the GDPR can be implemented more easily thanks to read and write permissions. All required data is recorded in a structured manner as mandatory fields so that nothing is forgotten. Required information is reliably available, even in the event of late consequences of a breach.

The web-based HSEQ software from QUMsult, for example, meets the requirements for managing SGA incidents and an electronic first-aid book.

Conclusion

Employers must report reportable accidents at work to their accident insurance institution, and every first-aid service must be documented. Suitable software solutions for SGA incidents and first aid logbooks help those responsible to improve occupational health and safety. The aim is to reduce the frequency and severity of accidents (Vision Zero).