European comparisons - Over-3-day injuries

In five member states - Great Britain, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland - injury statistics are based on injury reports to labour inspectorates made by employers and others.  Eurostat’s rate of over 3 day injury allows for any underreporting of non-fatal injuries in these five countries. In the other countries, injury statistics are based on claims made through insurance and/or social security systems and are believed to be relatively complete.
In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available across the European Union:

• Eurostat has estimated that there were almost 3.3 million over 3 day injuries in the EU, allowing for under-reporting. This translates into a non-fatal rate of 3 013 per 100000 workers. The British rate is 1 135.
• The British rate of workplace non-fatal injury in 2006 is the second lowest among EU member states.

Figure 3: Standardised Incidence Rate of over 3 day accidents at work in Europe by member state, 2006 (see table 2)

Note

The rate for each member state is standardised to a common basis of the European Union mix of employment by industry.

Across Great Britain and large member states (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) during the period  2002 - 2006:

• There are general reductions in the rate of over-3-day injury.
• Great Britain has consistently had the lowest rate of over-3-day injury. 

Figure 4: Rates of over 3 day injury in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and EU average  2002 - 2006 (see table 6)

Notes

Work related road traffic accidents are excluded from rates of non-fatal injury for Great Britain but are included for the other member states.