Workplace accidents
Workplace accidents
What are Workplace Accidents and Near-Miss Incidents?
On this page, you can learn more about workplace accidents, near-miss incidents, and how to report them, as well as about the Occupational Health and Safety Section’s registration of incidents in EASY.
Additionally, you will find answers to the most common questions and access materials that can help you prevent workplace accidents.
Workplace accidents
Workplace Accidents vs. Occupational Diseases
An occupational injury can result from an accident or an occupational disease. The distinction between workplace accidents and occupational diseases primarily affects who is responsible for reporting them:
Workplace Accidents:
Workplace accidents occur suddenly, and the injuries often (but not always) manifest immediately after the incident. The term "sudden" means that the injury impact happens "right away" or lasts for a maximum of 5 days.
At AAU, the employer (AAU) is responsible for reporting workplace accidents. The Health and Safety Section handles this responsibility on behalf of AAU. Therefore, you do not need to report workplace accidents yourself in EASY but should report them to the Health and Safety Section.
Occupational Diseases:
Occupational diseases are injuries that occur after prolonged exposure or strain during work (+5 days).
In cases of occupational disease or suspected occupational disease, it is the affected person's own doctor or dentist who is responsible for reporting the disease. Since AAU, as the employer, does not have the obligation to report occupational diseases, you should not report them to the Health and Safety Section.
Neither/Nor?
In some cases, it may be unclear whether an injury is the result of an accident or an occupational disease. In certain specific situations, it is appropriate to treat an occupational injury both as a workplace accident and as a suspected occupational disease.
Example of an accident: sudden hearing loss after brief, intense exposure to noise (e.g., impulse noise).
Example of an occupational disease: hearing loss caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of noise over several years.
If you're unsure whether an injury is caused by an accident or an occupational disease, the Health and Safety Section can help clarify. Contact us at ulykke@adm.aau.dk.
What Should Be Reported?
All accident incidents that cause injury to AAU employees during working hours must be reported to the Health and Safety Section. This applies regardless of whether the injured person has sick leave due to the injury or if the injuries are considered temporary.
Material Damage:
If there is material damage to the personal aids necessary for performing the work (such as glasses, prosthetics, wheelchair, etc.), it must also be reported. This applies even if only material damage has occurred and not personal injury.
Violence, Threats, Harassment:
Physical violence, threats, and harassment directed at AAU employees must also be reported, even if it happens outside of working hours, as long as the incident is related to the employee’s work for AAU.
For further information about violence and critical incidents, visit preparedness.aau.dk
Employees who have experienced traumatic events can use the offer for psychological counseling.
Occupational Diseases:
Occupational injuries caused by suspected occupational diseases should not be reported to the Health and Safety Section, as it is not AAU’s responsibility but rather doctors and dentists who have the obligation to report occupational diseases.
If you are unsure whether an accident incident should be reported, the Health and Safety Section can help clarify. Contact us at ulykke@adm.aau.dk.
How to Report?
When you need to report an injury-related accident, you must complete a form that must be signed by the supervisor, health and safety representative, and the injured party.
You should send the completed form to ulykke@adm.aau.dk as soon as possible, and no later than 7 days after the incident.
Examples:
Example of an incident that should be reported: A frustrated student threatens an AAU employee by phone after working hours due to a bad grade on a written exam.
Example of an incident that does not need to be reported: An upset neighbor of an AAU employee makes threats during a private fence dispute.
Forms:
What should be reported?
If students, guests, or others not employed by AAU are injured in an accident on AAU premises, the incident must be reported to the Health and Safety Section if the circumstances of the incident meet one of the following criteria:
Benefit Criterion
The incident occurred during an activity (work, studies, etc.) from which AAU directly benefits financially, such as saving AAU expenses for other labor.
This criterion also applies to healthy volunteers participating in AAU experiments under AAU's management, possibly in exchange for payment.
However, the benefit criterion does not apply to employees of external employers who perform work for AAU under their own employer’s supervision. This could be employees of construction companies, guest researchers employed at other educational institutions, etc. In this case, it is the external employer, not AAU, that is responsible for reporting the incident.
Assistive Device Criterion
The incident occurred during an activity (work, studies, etc.) where technical aids (or dangerous substances and materials) provided by AAU were used.
Technical aids may include machines, tools, equipment, furnishings, laboratory utensils, etc. Dangerous substances and materials are typically those labeled with hazard symbols by the manufacturer or self-made mixtures with hazardous health effects.
Examples:
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Incident that must be reported: A student gets glass shards in their eyes when a flask breaks during a laboratory exercise. The incident must be reported because laboratory equipment was used during the academic activity.
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Incident that should not be reported: A student trips in the hallway, falls, and injures their ankle. This incident should not be reported because the student did not use technical aids or dangerous substances/materials.
Forms
For reporting work accidents involving students, etc., the same forms as for employees should be used.
Uncertain?
If you're unsure whether an incident involving students or others not employed by AAU should be reported, the Health and Safety Section can assist with clarification.
Contact us at ulykke@adm.aau.dk.
What is a near-miss accident?
Near-miss accidents are incidents that did not result in personal injury but could have. Near-miss accidents are also referred to as accident "approaches."
Accident incidents that were close to causing personal injury must be reported to the Health and Safety Section. Remember, it is often chance that determines whether an accident results in injury or not, as illustrated on nearmiss.dk.
Reporting
When making a report, you must complete a form that needs to be signed by the supervisor and the health and safety representative. You should send the completed form to ulykke@adm.aau.dk as soon as possible after the incident.
If you're unsure whether an incident should be reported as a near-miss accident, the Health and Safety Section can help clarify.
Contact us at ulykke@adm.aau.dk.
Forms
Read more about near-miss accidents in the document Work Accidents at AAU.
Accident Prevention through Investigation of Accidents
Accidents do not happen "by themselves." They are not "incidental." There is always at least one, but usually several, causes for an accident to occur.
Accident Prevention
An important method for accident prevention is identifying and removing the causes of accidents that have already occurred so that you can "learn" from them. This is required by health and safety legislation. The causes of accidents, poisoning, health damage, and near-misses must be investigated, and measures must be implemented to prevent recurrence. Investigating accidents is, therefore, a legally mandated task for your health and safety organization.
The Health and Safety Section will follow up on your preventive measures when accidents are reported.
Prevention of Near-Miss Accidents
Small things or random circumstances often determine whether an accident results in personal injury—and how serious the injury is. Therefore, it is also a requirement that near-miss accidents are investigated for preventive purposes.
Empirical research shows that far more near-miss accidents occur than accidents involving personal injury. For example, data has shown that for each serious injury accident, around 300 incidents occur without injury (Henrich, 1931). Other studies have revealed different ratios, such as 600 near-miss incidents for each fatal accident (Bird, 1966).
Despite the ratio between the number of incidents with and without injury, there is not necessarily a causal relationship between these incidents. The risk of a serious injury accident is not necessarily greater or smaller simply because many or few incidents of the same type occur without injury.
For example, many people have suffered paper cuts over time, but this doesn't mean that handling paper presents a higher risk for serious injury.
Instead, when preventing near-miss incidents, the focus should be on what injuries the incidents could have caused.
For instance, if a tall shelving unit with a heavy load of steel rods suddenly collapses, there is good reason to investigate the collapse further—simply because the collapse could have resulted in serious injury for those present.
Additionally, the focus should be on the prevention potential—meaning whether it is realistic and feasible to do something to reduce the risk. In the case of the shelving unit, this might involve determining what weight limits such units can handle to ensure they are not exceeded, as well as conducting annual inspections on these units.
Not all near-miss accidents present a significant risk for injury, but some do. By preventing such near-miss incidents, you will very likely also prevent accidents that lead to injury.
Accident Prevention through Risk Assessment
Another important method for preventing accidents is to assess and eliminate accident hazards before an accident occurs.
Observation of Accident Hazards
Through regular safety inspections, you can assess immediate and easily observable accident hazards. This is especially relevant in a dynamic workshop or laboratory environment. According to previous decisions (May 2015) in HAMiU, safety inspections should be conducted in all laboratory and workshop areas at least twice a year.
Accident hazards can also be observed during daily work or while moving around indoor or outdoor areas.
Example from AAU: An outdoor concrete staircase had some loose and uneven steps. Several people had tripped and slipped on the steps, but no one had fallen or been injured. Nevertheless, it was assessed that the condition of the staircase posed an accident hazard. As a result, the steps were renovated to prevent accidents leading to personal injury.
Risk Assessment
Not all hazards can be detected through observation. Hazards may be hidden or linked to complex technical factors, and in such cases, it is necessary to investigate accident hazards more thoroughly through a risk assessment.
In the legislation, a risk assessment is required when working with dangerous substances and materials, where a chemical work assessment (APV) must be prepared. Part of the purpose of a chemical APV is to prevent workplace accidents from acute exposures and poisoning.
Similar risk assessment requirements are found in other parts of health and safety legislation, for example, when constructing machinery. At AAU, it may be relevant to prevent accidents through risk assessments related to the construction of larger or technically complex experimental setups, which present electrical, thermal, or mechanical hazards.
The Health and Safety Section has developed tools for Chemical APV.
If you need guidance on investigating accidents or near-misses, feel free to contact us at ulykke@adm.aau.dk.
Here is a brief overview of what happens in a work injury case. The process can vary quite a bit, so we’ve chosen to highlight the main points:
The accident is reported
The completed and signed form is sent to the Health and Safety Section.
The accident is notified
The Health and Safety Section notifies the accident in the shared government reporting portal, EASY, which is part of virk.dk. Near-miss accidents are not reported. The authorities behind EASY are the Danish Labor Market Insurance (AES) and the Danish Working Environment Authority (AT).
The work injury case is created
The Health and Safety Section creates a work injury case in the journal system (currently WorkZone) and records the details of the accident in an internal overview sheet that lists all accidents at AAU. The Health and Safety Section handles the case confidentially, as documents in work injury cases contain sensitive personal information. Only a few people, all affiliated with the Health and Safety Section, have access to the case.
Communication with the injured party
The Health and Safety Section informs the injured party when the accident is reported. The injured party will also automatically receive a notification in their e-box when the accident is reported.
It is important that the injured party responds to inquiries in their e-box promptly, as failure to respond or delays may delay the case processing and lead to an incorrect decision.
AES processes the case
If the accident is reported for compensation purposes, AES will decide whether the injuries can be recognized as a work-related injury.
During the case processing, AES may contact both AAU and the injured party to obtain additional information, such as employment details.
Additionally, AES may request information about the injuries after the accident, including medical records, doctor’s certificates, and fitness assessments. Case processing by AES typically takes 8 to 10 months.
AES announces its decision
AES’ case processing results in a decision about recognition or rejection. Simultaneously (or later, after further investigation), AES will determine whether the injured party is entitled to compensation.
Both AAU and the injured party have the right to appeal AES’ decision. Appeals are handled by the Appeals Board.
AAU is invoiced
AAU pays all costs related to the case processing, including the costs for handling any appeal. AAU also pays any compensation to the injured party, as AAU is self-insured.
As part of AAU’s internal self-insurance scheme, the unit to which the injured party belongs must cover all individual case expenses up to a total of 100,000 DKK. Expenses beyond this amount are covered by a common fund administered by ØA, The Ecconomy Deparment at AAU..
Questions
If you have any questions about the process of your work injury case, the Health and Safety Section can assist you. Contact us at ulykke@adm.aau.dk.
Can I report an accident myself?
Yes, and your union can also report it on your behalf. However, if the accident occurred while working for AAU, it is most practical for AAU as the employer to make the report. This way, there is prior agreement on what actually happened, and unnecessary processing time is not spent determining this. That is why the report must be signed by multiple people. It also ensures that your unit can implement measures to prevent similar accidents.
Can students receive compensation if they are injured during their studies?
No, since students are not employees at AAU, they generally cannot receive compensation under the work injury insurance law. Therefore, accidents involving students are typically not reported to AES for processing. Students should ensure they have their own insurance through a full-time accident insurance policy.
However, AAU has taken out a collective accident insurance policy for students, which covers their study activities in laboratories, workshops, and during fieldwork. Read more about this insurance in the AAU handbook.
Can I be compensated for damaged clothing if I fall off my bike on AAU's premises?
Damaged clothing is property damage – not a work injury. You should contact your unit if you want compensation for damaged clothing.
As a general rule, AAU is not liable for damage to your clothing or other personal belongings unless AAU can be held responsible for the damage. The same applies to theft, fire damage, etc.
Damaged personal aids necessary for you to work, such as glasses, contact lenses, prostheses, wheelchairs, etc., are an exception. These aids can be compensated for under the work injury insurance law, provided the conditions for compensation are met.
Read more about AAU's insurance policies in the AAU handbook (link in Danish)
Can I have my physiotherapy or similar expenses covered in connection with a work injury?
Yes, if the injury is recognized as a work injury by AES and the conditions for compensation are otherwise met.
It is also a requirement that the treatments you have paid for yourself:
- are approved by the health insurance
- are necessary for the best possible recovery and not just alleviating symptoms
- are timely related to the injury and not a need that has arisen much later
- are not fully covered by others, such as public health insurance.
AAU cannot cover your expenses until AES has made a decision on the recognition of the injury. Therefore, it is important that you continuously collect documentation for your expenses and send it to the Working Environment Section once your work injury is reported.