Abroad|24/06/22

SWEDEN: sharp increase in work-related injuries between 2020 and 2021

Home > The news of EUROGIP and occupational risks in Europe > SWEDEN: sharp increase in work-related injuries between 2020 and 2021

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of accidents at work with time off increased by 23% and the number of occupational diseases by 48%. This increase is largely linked to the pandemic. It also affects women in particular, who are more affected by the Covid-19 in the health and care sector.

In 2021, the Social Insurance Agency recorded a total of:

  • 153,232 accidents at work, of which 39,049 resulted in at least one day’s absence from work,
  • 10,990 commuting accidents,
  • 29,854 occupational diseases,
  • 39 fatal accidents (3 women, 36 men) among the Swedish workforce,
  • 9 fatal accidents among people who are not part of the Swedish workforce.

The large increase in accidents among women is largely explained by side effects related to the Covid-19 vaccination. This is a completely new type of report, which before the pandemic was negligible. It has risen from just under 300 to almost 3,400. This is a record number of lost-time injuries for women in 2021. The most common accidents were falls and movements with effort, such as lifting patients. For men, most reported lost-time accidents were caused by loss of control of hand tools and means of transport.

Find out more

Discover other news

Abroad

27/06/24

AUSTRIA: More accidents at work and on the way to work in 2023

According to data published by the Austrian Social insurance for occupational injuries (AUVA) in mid-June, 145,748 claims were registered last year, broken down as follows 29,866 accidents (at work and and students), 13,062 commuting accidents and 2,820 cases of occupational diseases. While the number of accidents (at work and on the way to work) has increased, the number of occupational diseases has decreased compared to 2022.

Abroad

27/06/24

GERMANY: in 2023, the number of fatal accidents at work and commuting accidents was lower than ever before

The number of accidents at work in 2023 to declare was lower than in 2019: 783,426 compared with 871,547. This is a record number if we exclude the years 2020 to 2022, which were heavily influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of fatal accidents at work and on the way to work was also at an all-time low, and the number of occupational diseases reported and recognised fell sharply.

Abroad

27/06/24

DENMARK: faster processing of workers’ compensation claims

New rules, which come into force on 1 July, are designed to give victims of accidents at work a quicker response to their claim for compensation. From now on, employers, doctors and local authorities will be liable to a fine if they fail to provide information within the statutory time limit, i.e. no later than 14 days after the first day of absence, if the accident has resulted in the employee being unable to work or absent from work after the day of the accident.