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In its latest report on occupational health and safety, the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) presents data on workplace accidents (including commuting accidents), occupational diseases, work incapacity, and disability pensions for the year 2024.
Improving indicators
In 2024, the number of reportable workplace accidents reached a historic low and the accident rate was the lowest ever recorded (18.0 per 1,000 full-time equivalents). With a 0.5% increase in the working population in 2024, several indicators showed a decrease in accident rates compared to the previous year:
Workplace accidents:
- 440 fatal accidents (-11.8%),
- 810,399 reportable workplace accidents (-3.4%);
- 219 fatal commuting accidents (-2.7%)
- 175,560 reportable road accidents (-5.9%)
Occupational diseases:
- 104,468 reports of suspected occupational illness (-30.5%)
- 29,306 recognized occupational illnesses (-60.9%);
- 1,900 deaths of people with an occupational illness that led to death (-11.7%)
It should be noted that the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt in the field of occupational diseases: although the number of suspected cases reported is 30.5% lower than in 2023, it remains significantly higher than in 2019 (84,853 cases). The same is true for the figures relating to the recognition of occupational diseases (2019: 20,422 cases).
Psychosocial risks at the heart of concerns
According to Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas, “mental illness remains one of the most common causes of early retirement and the third leading cause of work disability […]. This represents an enormous burden for those affected and for businesses.”
According to the report, 147.3 million days of incapacity for work (IFW) will be attributable to mental and behavioral disorders in 2024. While the number of IPs is similar to that of the previous year, these disorders are the most common cause of new disability pensions (42%), accounting for nearly half of the causes of new retirement cases among women (≈48%) and more than a third among men (≈35%).
Among the risk factors identified, psychological harassment plays a significant role. A survey of 5,015 employees shows that 6.5% of them are victims of harassment by colleagues and/or superiors, and 5.3% by third parties outside the company.
