Every year, there are many fatal and non-fatal accidents that occur in a wide range of work settings. Despite strong health and safety regulations in place to protect workers, accidents can still happen and more needs to be done to bring these numbers down around the UK and Europe as a whole. This post will look at the best and worst countries in Europe for workplace accidents.
Fatalities
According to the EU Commission, France and Bulgaria are the worst in the EU in terms of fatal workplace accidents per 100,000 employees. France recorded 3.53 fatal accidents per 100,000 while Bulgaria recorded 3.37. Across all of the EU, there were 1.74 fatalities per 100,000 employees.
Non-Fatal Accidents
It is not just fatalities that need to be looked at as non-fatal accidents are more common and can be severe and life-changing. There were 1,604 non-fatal accidents per 100,000 recorded in 2019 and France had the highest incident rate at 3,425 per 100,000 employees. Both Spain and Portugal also had high non-fatal incident rates with both at over 2,500 per 100,000.
The Importance of PPE
Sometimes, accidents happen in the workplace even when health and safety protocols are followed. This is why it is so important for employers to provide high-quality PPE to their employees to reduce risk and prevent injuries from occurring. The type of PPE that is required will depend on the type of business operation and the risks involved, but can include high-vis clothing, hard hats, goggles and face masks just as a few examples.
Hazardous Industries
Of course, every industry is different and some are much more hazardous than others. While there are hazards even in a typical office-based business, you will find that there are a handful of industries that cause the most accidents. These include construction, transportation and manufacturing. The nature of the work is more dangerous in these industries and it is vital that health and safety is a priority in these industries.
Virtuous Examples
It is also important to note that there are a few countries that have very low incidence rates and these are the countries that others should look to for inspiration. Holland, Sweden and Germany have the lowest incidence rates in Europe and are all countries where health and safety is taken very seriously.
Health and safety needs to be a priority in every business, especially those with high incidence rates. There are also a handful of countries that need to be doing more to bring their fatal and non-fatal incidence rates down so that business owners can protect their workers and enjoy peace of mind knowing that they are doing what they can to reduce accidents and save lives.
