Occupational safety and health in Europe - state and trends 2023 
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – EU-OSHA 62 
The success of these efforts can be demonstrated by Eurostat’s w ork accident data. In 1998, Eurostat 
registered in its — just in 1994 introduced — ‘European statistics on accidents at work’ (ESAW) an 
incidence rate 115 of non-fatal accidents of 4,089 (Sector A and D -K, NACE Rev. 1.1, EU -15).116 This 
incidence rate fell to 1,713 in 2019 (Sector A, C -N, NACE Rev. 2, EU27).117 That is, between 1998 
and 2019 the inciden ce rate of non-fatal accidents in these sectors fell about 58% . According to 
ESAW, the total number of non-fatal accidents for all NACE classes in 2019 was 3,140,950. 118 
The incidence rate for fatal accidents dropped from 5.03 in 1998119 to 2.17 in 2019,120 that is, between 
1998 and 2019 the incident rate of fatal accidents decreased by 57% . The total number of fatal 
accidents in 2019 was 3,408.121 
The incidence rate of accidents for all NACE sectors is slightly lower. For non-fatal accidents, it stands 
at 1,603 (compared to 1,713 for Sector A, C-N, NACE Rev. 2, EU27)122; for fatal accidents the incidence 
rate is 1.74 (compared to 2.17 for Sector A, C-N, NACE Rev. 2, EU27); all data for 2019.123 
 
1998 using NACE Rev. 1 Sector A, D-K: 
A Agriculture, hunting and forestry, D Manufacturing, E Electricity, gas and water supply, F Construction,  
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods,  
H Hotels and restaurants, I Transport, storage and communication, J Financial intermediation, K Real estate, 
renting and business activities.  
2019 using NACE Rev. 2 Sector A, C-N: 
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing, C Manufacturing, D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, E Water 
supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, F Construction,  
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles H Transportation and storage,  
I Accommodation and food service activities J Information and communication, K Financial and insurance 
activities, L Real estate activities, M Professional, scientific and technical activities, and N Administrative and 
support service activities. 
The two NACE Rev. 1 sectors B ‘Fishing’ and C ‘Mining and quarrying’ were not included in the calculations of 
1998. They were implemented in the ESAW statistical data from 2008 onwards when NACE 2 was introduced. 
‘Fishing’ is in NACE 2 part of sector A, and ‘Mining and quarrying’ is still sector B.  
B ‘Mining and quarrying’ data are included in those Eurostat statistics about all NACE 2 sectors but not in those 
statistics that explicitly refer to NACE Rev. 2 Sector A, C-N.  In 2019 the fatal accident incident rate of fatal 
accidents in the sector ‘Mining and quarrying’ was five times over the average of all sectors (8.23). 
 
International data show the comparatively low level of work accidents in the EU. Other countries like 
the United States showed a similar development during this period. 124 While it is estimated that work 
accidents contribute worldwide to 19% of all work -related deaths, this figure is 5% for the EU27. When 
counting DALYs, the work-related injuries account for 17% of all DALYS for injuries and diseases in the 
EU27, and for 29% globally.125  
It is evident that better technical and organisational prevention at workplaces  contributed to this 
strong reduction of accidents; prominent examples of such improvements are:   
Technical safer design of moving vehicles, for example, fork lifts, heavy trucks and machines, light 
and noise warning signals for moving vehicles; safer design of machines like automatic shutdowns or 
disconnections, two-hand operating of machines, for example, for pressing and punching, safer cranes 
including better technologies for communication between co- workers, coverage of moving parts, safer