WRITTEN QUESTION E-2552/98

by Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Accidents at work in the EU

Is the Commission able to say how many serious and fatal accidents at work have occurred in each of the Member States since 1996? How many such accidents have occurred as a result of the failure to incorporate Community social and employment law into national law or the failure to implement it?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(23 November 1998)

On the basis of Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work(1) and the Council Resolution of 21 December 1987(2), the Commission initiated a project in 1990 on the harmonisation of occupational accident statistics throughout the Community. This is known as the ESAW (European Statistics on Accidents at Work) project. The Council recognised the importance of this project in its Resolution of 27 March 1995(3).

The first results of the project relate to accidents in 1993 and 1994, which are the most recent figures available. In 1993(4), among a total of 122,4 million persons in employment, a total of 4,8 million work accidents resulting in more than three days' absence from work were reported. 5 977 of these accidents were fatal. In 1994(5), the number of people in employment rose to 131,9 million, and the number of work accidents resulting in more than three days' absence from work was estimated at 4,9 million, 6 423 of them fatal. Analysis of the European average frequency (accidents involving more than three days' absence from work per 100 000 persons in employment) reveals a figure of 4 505 for 1993 and 4 539 for 1994, a very slight increase. However, fatal accident frequency independent of the type of activity actually improved, falling from 5,3 in 1993 to 4,9 in 1994.

The results for each Member State for the two years 1993 and 1994 are set out in detail in the Eurostat publications referred to, copies of which are being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament's Secretariat. The corresponding harmonised statistics for 1995 and subsequent years have not yet been published, which means that accident figures for 1996 are not yet available.

The Member States have informed the Commission of the measures taken to incorporate the directives on health and safety protection for workers at work into national law.

The Parliament, Council, Economic and Social Committee and Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work are regularly informed by the Commission of the results of the practical implementation of these provisions, on the basis of the reports provided by the Member States.

(1) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.

(2) OJ C 28, 3.2.1988.

(3) OJ C 168, 4.7.1995.

(4) Source: Eurostat, "Statistics in Focus, Population and social conditions" 1997/2.

(5) Source: Eurostat, "Statistics in Focus, Population and social conditions" 1998/2.