All about accidents at work

When is an incident an accident at work? How can you prevent this? If it does happen anyway, what procedures should you follow? We can support you with the prevention, follow-up and aftercare.

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What is an accident at work?

An accident at work is an unanticipated work-related incident that results in an employee’s injury. This can range from minor injuries to serious or even fatal accidents. What about an accident while commuting? That is also considered an ‘accident at work’.

For an accident to be legally considered an accident at work, three conditions apply:

  1. Unforeseen - It happened suddenly.
  2. Beyond the injured person’s control - It was not a deliberate action.
  3. Work-related - It arose out of or in the course of work.

What types of accidents at work are there?

We distinguish between four types of accidents:

  • Minor accidents at work - This type of accident does not result in loss of salary or incapacity for work. Only limited care is necessary. For example, a superficial wound which only requires disinfection or a plaster.
  • Ordinary accidents at work – Any accidents arising from or in the course of work that results in injury, including during a commute or when working remotely. For example, a cut.
  • Serious accidents at work - These are accidents with serious injuries such as burns.
  • Very serious accidents at work - These are accidents resulting in permanent injury or death. Such accidents must be reported to the Inspectorate for Employee Wellbeing immediately.

Questions about accidents at work?

Please contact your IDEWE regional office

What procedure should you follow after an accident at work as an employer?

You want to have a clear procedure in place for accidents at work. This ensures your employees know what to do right away in the event of an accident. You should also make sure any new employees are instructed on this procedure.

Procedure for minor accidents

  • Is the accident only a minor one? Record it in your first aid register.
  • Did it later become apparent that consulting a doctor was necessary after all? In that case, you should also inform your occupational accident insurer. They can then consult the information in the register.
  • Your employee should also report the accident to their manager.
  • A first aid register template  is available in your My IDEWE customer area.

Procedure for serious occupational accidents

Has there been a serious accident at work? Follow these steps:

  1. Provide appropriate medical assistance
    1. Your employee needs medical care: take them to a doctor or urgent care.
    2. Your employee requires urgent medical care: call 112.
    3. If your employee has died or is likely to be permanently injured, call 112 and notify the Directorate-General for Monitoring of Wellbeing at Work (MWW) at +32 (0)2 235 53 00.
       
  2. Document the evidence
    1. The doctor who cares for the injured person fills in a medical certificate of ‘initial determination’.
    2. As the employer, you must complete a declaration form and submit this to your occupational accident insurer within eight calendar days of the incident. Provide a copy to your internal prevention advisor and also retain one in the form of an accident data sheet. This data sheet contains all pertinent information about the accident at work and the preventive measures required.
    3. In the event of a very serious accident, you must also inform us as your external prevention service. We will draw up a detailed report. We will also propose measures to help prevent any similar accidents in future. As the employer, you must supplement this report with a plan of action and submit it to MWW within ten calendar days.
       
  3. Ensure follow-up and work on prevention
    1. Has the doctor indicated that adapted work is possible? Adapt your employee’s tasks in consultation with the employee and their manager.
    2. Does your employee want to return to work and have more than thirty days passed? Make an appointment for a ‘return-to-work assessment’. The occupational doctor will check whether your employee is fit to return to work and complete a health assessment form.
    3. Also offer your employee psychosocial support if they so desire. 

Need help with an employee’s reintegration after an accident?

Our experts will guide you and your employee through the process

What if an employee has an accident while working remotely?

It is best to have clear, documented agreements on remote working in place to avoid conflict. An accident that occurs while working remotely is considered an accident at work under the following conditions:

  • During working hours
  • At the official remote working location as defined in the contract
  • In circumstances that confirm the accident’s work-related character

How you prevent sickness accidents at work?

Reduce accidents at work:

1. Carry out a risk assessment

  • Identify the primary risks and implement preventive measures.

2. Build a strong safety culture

  • Raise employee awareness of safety risks.
  • Provide regular training and safety instructions.

3. Provide appropriate protective equipment

  • Have your employees use appropriate personal protection equipment.
  • Review protective measures regularly to assess their effectiveness.

How can IDEWE support you in preventing accidents at work?

Want to prevent accidents at work and be sure you are following the correct procedures? Our experts are there for you. 

  • We will help you report and register accidents correctly, draw up internal and external reports and follow up on accident data sheets.
     
  • We offer assistance in the analysis of serious accidents and preparation of detailed reports.
     
  • We will carry out annual reviews of your organisation’s accidents at work. We identify accident trends and compare these to the averages for your industry.
     
  • We will help you with thorough (monthly) monitoring if your organisation is dealing with large numbers of accidents.