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Concepts and definitions

Accident frequency

The variation of accident incidence risks prevailing in different industries or professional and other such groups can be measured by taking the number of accidents as a proportion to the number of hours worked in each branch. When this is done, the ratios gained can be regarded as the "risk figures" of a certain occupation or industry. In practice, accident proneness also varies within the same occupation or industry by task, for instance.

Accident frequency refers to the ratio of accidents and hours worked. The ratio is calculated per million hours worked. The frequency is used mainly in comparisons between different industries.

Accident incidence rate

The variation of accident incidence risks prevailing in different industries or occupational and other such groups can be measured by taking the number of accidents as a proportion to the number of employees in each branch. When this is done, the ratios gained can be regarded as the "risk figures" of a certain occupation or industry. In practice, accident proneness also varies within the same occupation or industry by task, for instance.

The accident incidence rate refers to the ratio of the number of accidents and employees. In accidents causing a disability of at least three days the ratio is calculated per 1,000 employees and in fatal accidents per 100,000 employees.

Occupational accident

Occupational accidents are such employment accidents for which insurance companies have paid compensation.

An occupational accident is defined in Section 4 of the Employment Accidents Act. An employment accident means any accident causing injury or illness sustained by the employee in the course of his/her employment or in circumstances arising from employment. According to the act, employment accidents are divided according to the place of accident as follows:

• an employment accident has occurred at work or in work-related circumstances. Then traffic accidents while at work are also defined as employment accidents.
• commuting accident has occurred outside the actual working time while commuting from his/her residence to work or vice versa.