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 reckoned to be relatively complete.

In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available across the European Union:

• There were 2 945 493 reported/declared work related over-3-day injuries in the EU.
  
• Eurostat has estimated that there were almost 3.3 million over 3 day injuries in the EU, allowing for under-reporting. This translates into anon-fatal rate of 3 098 per 100000 workers. The British rate is 1 271.
  
• The British rate of workplace non-fatal injury in 2005 is the third lowest among EU member states.
  
• The highest rates of non-fatal injury in the European Union in recent years have been in the manufacture of wood products, construction, the individual industries for the manufacture of basic metals, non-metallic mineral products, food products, and in agriculture.

Figure 3: Standardised Incidence Rate of over 3 day accidents at work in Europe by member state, 2005 (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 2001 – 2005:

• 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. France has been subject to more fluctuation than other large member states.
  

Figure 4: Rates of over 3 day injury in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and EU average 2001 – 2005 (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.