Spain

Organization responsible for the statistics

Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales, Subdirección General de Estadísticas Sociales y Laborales (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Subdirectorate General for Social and Labour Statistics).

Periodicity

Compilation: Monthly.

Publication: Monthly (for provisional data) and annual (for final data).

Source

Documents concerning occupational accidents reported by enterprises are submitted by managing and collaborating social security entities to the competent labour authority.

Objectives and users

To establish potential prevention measures and to disseminate information on the services provided by the public social security system.

Major users:

Public administrations, managing and collaborating social security entities, enterprises and private individuals.

Coverage

Persons:

Workers participating in social security schemes with occupational accident coverage, including: the Basic Scheme, the Specialized Scheme for Coal Miners, the Specialized Scheme for Agricultural Workers (including own-account workers) and the Specialized Scheme for Seafarers (including own-account workers). The Specialized Scheme for Self-Employed Workers and the Specialized Scheme for Domestic Workers do not provide coverage of occupational accidents and therefore were not included in the statistics.

In 1996, approximately 10,000,000 workers were covered.

Economic activities:

All economic activities and sectors, excluding the State Administration and the Armed Forces, whose system of occupational accident coverage is separate from social security, and which are not required to notify occupational accidents.

Geographic areas:

The whole country.

The statistics include nationals working abroad and persons involved in occupational accidents occurring within the country who contribute to social security.

Establishments:

Not applicable.

Types of occupational accidents covered

The statistics include all types of occupational accidents reported to the competent labour authority.

Occupational accidents shall be understood to include:

  1. accidents sustained by the worker en route to or from the workplace and those occurring outside the usual workplace;
  2. accidents sustained by the worker that arise out of or in connection with the performance of trade union-related elective duties, as well as those occurring while en route to or from the place in which such duties are performed;
  3. accidents arising out of or in connection with duties performed by the worker in compliance with employers' orders, or those performed voluntarily with a view to the proper functioning of the enterprise, even if such duties differ from those associated with the worker's occupational category;
  4. accidents arising out of rescue attempts and other similar situations, provided these are in some way related to work;
  5. diseases, not included in the following item, that are contracted by the worker in carrying out his or her work, provided that the performance of such work is the exclusive cause of the disease;
  6. previous diseases or disorders made worse by the injury sustained during the accident;
  7. consequences of the accident, whose nature, duration, severity, or termination are altered by intercurrent illnesses, which constitute complications attributable to the pathological process brought about by the accident itself or to affections acquired in the new environment in which the patient has been placed for recovery.
The statistics do not include occupational diseases, since these are notified in documents other than those used to report occupational accidents, and the data are compiled and published separately from occupational accidents.

Concepts and definitions

(Source: in general, the Revised Text of the Social Security Act).

Occupational accident:

any bodily injury sustained by a worker that arises out of or in connection with work (Section 115).

Occupational injury:

bodily injury sustained by a worker that arises out of or in connection with work.

Commuting accident:

an accident sustained by a worker while en route to or from the workplace (Section 115).

Loss of working time:

the number of days transpired between the medically certified leave and medically certified discharge associated with an occupational accident or disease.

Fatal occupational injury:

an injury resulting in a worker's death during the month in which the data is collected, and the deaths resulting from accidents notified as serious sustained by workers during the reference year of the data, even if these are not considered fatal accidents.

Temporary incapacity to work as a result of an occupational accident:

situation in which the worker is unable to carry out his normal work, for a maximum period of twelve months, which may be extended by an additional six months in those cases in which it is presumed that the worker will be medically discharged.

Permanent incapacity to work as a result of an occupational accident:

situation in which, after having undergone a prescribed treatment and been discharged, a worker demonstrates a serious anatomic or functional impairment that may be identified in an objective manner, is considered permanent, diminishes or voids the worker's capacity for work, and is expressed as a particular degree of incapacity:

  1. permanent partial incapacity for the usual occupation;
  2. permanent total incapacity for the usual occupation;
  3. permanent total incapacity for any kind of work.

Permanent injuries without incapacity:

injuries (mutilations, deformities of a permanent nature) caused by occupational accidents, which do not result in permanent incapacity, but which diminish or alter the physical integrity of the worker.

Minimum period of absence from work: one day.

Maximum period for death to be considered a fatal occupational injury: none.

Types of information compiled

(a) personal characteristics of persons injured: sex, age, occupation, type of contract, collective agreement and length of service in post;

(b) amount of worktime lost: days not worked due to accidents that occurred during the reference year of the data;

(c) characteristics of accidents: time and day of occurrence, agency responsible, type of accident and site of accident;

(d) characteristics of injuries: part of body injured, description and severity of injury;

(e) characteristics of employers or workplaces: geographic location, principal economic activity and number of workers.

Measurement of worktime lost

Worktime lost is measured in calendar days, i.e. the number of days transpired between the dates of the medical leave and discharge certificates. Days not worked due to accidents are determined by subtracting the difference between the dates of the medical leave and discharge certificates. A discharge may result from the worker being cured, his or her status being changed to permanent incapacity, or death.

Worktime lost is measured only for cases of temporary incapacity, and for fatal injuries from the date of the medical leave up to the date of the person's death. Temporary absences of less than one day are not included in the statistics.

Classifications

(a) minor, serious or fatal accident;

(b) extent of disability:

not applicable;

(c) economic activity:

as from 1993, according to the CNAE-93, based on the NACE-Rev.1;

(d) occupation:

as from 1995, according to the CNO-94, based on the International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88);

(e) type of injury:

type of injury: fractures; dislocations; sprains, strains and distensions; lumbago; disc hernias; concussions and other internal injuries; amputations and loss of eyeball; other wounds; superficial injuries; contusions and crushings; foreign bodies entering the eye; conjunctivitis; burns; poisonings; environmental exposure; asphyxia; effects of electric current; effects of radiations; multiple injuries; infarction, cerebral effusion and other non-traumatic pathologies;

classification of diagnosis: allergic reaction; cancer; cardiovascular disorder; dental disorder; ocular disorder; gastrointestinal disorder; pathological blood disorder; hearing disorder; liver disorder; mucous membrane or skin irritation; neurological disorder; lung disorder; skeletomuscular disorder; infectious disease; diagnosis not elsewhere specified; unknown diagnosis;

part of body injured: skull; face, excluding eyes; eyes; neck; chest, back or sides; lumbar region and abdomen; genitals; hands; upper limbs, excluding hands; feet; lower limbs excluding feet; multiple injuries; internal organs;

(f) cause of accident:

general agencies (general, physical, chemical and explosive, products and materials); scaffolding, ladders and other equipment; lifting and transport agencies (lifting devices, means of transport, conveyors and other equipment); agencies for energy production and utilization (electric and non-electric); energy transmission agencies (mechanical and electric); tools (portable electric tools, portable pneumatic tools and hand tools); machines and equipment (pressure vessels, compressors, pumping equipment, soldering equipment, furnaces - excluding blast furnaces, other equipment); machinery (metallurgical, lumber, textile, paper and graphic arts, ceramic, cements and by-products, glass, meat, milk and by-products, wine and olive production, canning, flour and by-products, tobacco, leather and footwear, rubber and plastic, chemicals, construction, gunpowder and explosives, agricultural); animals and persons; weapons; fishing industry and robots;

(g) duration of absence from work;

(h) characteristics of workers:

sex, age, occupation and length of service in post;

(i) characteristics of accidents:

falls of persons from heights and into depths; falls of persons on the same level; struck by falling objects; struck by falling objects during handling; struck by detached objects; stepping on objects; striking against stationary objects; striking against moving objects; struck by objects or tools; flying fragments or particles; caught in an object, between objects, or under an overturned machine, tractor or vehicle; overexertion; exposure to extreme environmental temperatures; contact with hot objects or substances; exposure to electric contacts; exposure to harmful substances; contact with caustic or corrosive substances, or both; exposure to radiations; explosions; fires; accidents caused by living beings; struck by vehicles en route to or from workplace (only for accidents without medically certified leave);

(j) characteristics of employers or workplaces:

size (1-5 workers, 6-25, 26-50, 51-100, 101-500, 501-1000, 1001-5000, more than 5000); geographic location and main economic activity.

Crossclassifications:

accidents and days not worked according to severity, autonomous community and province, and economic activity, by site of accident, type of accident, agency responsible for accident, hour of work, time of day, day of week, type of work, sex, age, occupation, type of contract, length of service in post; length of service in enterprise, type of injury, part of body injured, reason for medically certified discharge and size of enterprise.

Reference period

Month and year.

An accident is included in the statistics for the reference period corresponding to the date of the medically certified leave.

Worktime lost is included in the statistics for the year corresponding to the date of the medically certified leave.

Provisional data are collected monthly concerning: severity, autonomous community and province, and economic activity.

Final data are collected annually concerning: severity, autonomous community and province, economic activity, accident site, type of accident, agency responsible, hour of work, time of day, day of week, type of work, sex, age, occupation, type of contract, length of service in job, length of service in enterprise, nature of injury, part of body injured, reason for medically certified discharge and size of enterprise.

Estimates

Statistics are compiled on all reported occupational accidents and diseases. Figures for the number of workdays lost, which are calculated as the difference between the dates of the medically certified leave and discharge, include an estimate of the number of workdays lost for approximately 14 per cent of the accidents, for which the date of the medical discharge is not known.

Rates are calculated for accidents with lost worktime and medically certified leave:

Incidence rate = (accidents with lost worktime / participants in social security schemes with accident coverage) x 1,000

The denominator is derived from data contained in social security records.

Frequency rate = (accidents with lost worktime / total number of hours worked) x 1,000,000

The number of hours worked is estimated by multiplying the number of workers participating in social security schemes with accident coverage by the average number of hours worked per worker, which is obtained from the Salary Survey, for the industrial, construction and services sectors, and from the Active Population Survey, for agriculture. Both surveys are conducted by the National Statistics Institute.

Severity rate = (days not worked due to accidents with lost worktime / total number of hours worked) x 1,000

Average length of medically certified leave = (days not worked due to accidents / accidents with lost worktime)

Rates calculated for fatal accidents:

Incidence rate = (number of fatal accidents / participants in social security schemes with accident coverage) x 100,000

Frequency rate = (number of fatal accidents/ total number of hours worked) x 100,000,000

Historical background of the series

The statistics were first compiled between 1921 and 1933. In 1970, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health was created, and in 1971 a statistical series of occupational accidents was introduced.

The initial objective of the statistics was to provide information on various aspects of employment accidents, which would enable the development of occupational risk prevention programmes and the evaluation of their results.

In 1988, changes were made to the methodology used. These consisted of new rules for reporting occupational accidents and new forms with instructions for filling out and processing them. This led to major changes in the statistical handling and data processing of the basic data contained in the new forms.

Documentation

Series available:

The following tables are published:

Monthly:

Quarterly:

Yearly:

  1. Occupational accidents:
    1. Occupational accidents with medically certified leave according to severity, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity (total, by autonomous community and province);
    2. accident site and severity, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
    3. severity, by type of accident: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    4. type of accident, by:
      • autonomous community and province; total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
      • sector and branch of activity; total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
      • severity by equipment group or agency responsible for the accident: absolute values and percentage distributions;
      • equipment or agency responsible for the accident;
      • division of activity, by equipment or agency responsible; total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
    5. severity, by time of day of the accident: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    6. severity, by day of the week on which accident occurred: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    7. type of work and severity, by:
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • major occupational group;
    8. severity, by sex: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    9. severity and sex, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • type of accident;
    10. severity, by major occupational group: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    11. severity, by occupation;
    12. occupation, broken down by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity; total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
      • type of accident;
      • equipment responsible for the accident;
    13. severity, by age and sex of the injured worker: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    14. age of the injured worker, by occupation and sex;
    15. severity, by type of contract: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    16. type of contract, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • occupation;
      • age and sex of the injured worker;
    17. severity, by sex and length of service in post: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    18. length of service in post, by occupation;
    19. severity, by sex and length of service in enterprise;
    20. length of service in enterprise, by occupation, and total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
    21. severity, by type of injury: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    22. type of injury, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity, and total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
      • type of accident;
      • equipment or agency responsible for the accident;
      • occupation;
    23. severity and part of body injured: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    24. part of body injured, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity, and total accidents, minor accidents, serious accidents and fatal accidents;
      • type of accident;
      • equipment or agency responsible for the accident;
      • occupation;
    25. reason for medically certified discharge: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    26. reason for medically certified discharge, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • age and sex of the injured worker;
    27. severity, by enterprise size: absolute values and percentage distributions;
    28. enterprise size, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
    29. severity, by autonomous community and province in which injured worker's workplace is located;

    Accidents without medically certified leave, by:

  2. Days not worked due to accidents with medically certified leave according to:
    1. severity, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • type of accident;
      • equipment or agency responsible for the accident;
      • sex;
    2. severity and sex, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • occupation;
    3. severity, by:
      • sex and age of the injured worker;
      • type of contract;
      • sex and length of service in post;
      • sex and length of service in enterprise;
      • type of injury;
      • part of body injured;
      • reason for medically certified discharge;
      • enterprise size;
    4. reason for medically certified discharge, by:
      • autonomous community and province;
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • age and sex of the injured worker;

  3. Workdays lost due to relapses associated with occupational accidents according to severity, by:

  4. Relapses associated with occupational accidents according severity, by:

  5. Rates:
    1. Incidence rates, by:
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • autonomous community and province;

    2. Frequency rates, by:
      • sector and division of activity;
      • autonomous community;

    3. Severity rates, by:
      • sector and division of activity;
      • autonomous community;

    4. Average duration of medically certified leave, by:
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • autonomous community and province;

    5. Incidence rates of fatal accidents, by:
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • autonomous community and province;

    6. Frequency rates of fatal accidents, by:
      • sector and branch of activity;
      • autonomous community.

Bibliographic references:

The provisional data are published in:

Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales, Subdirección General de Estadística: Boletín mensual de Estadísticas Laborales;

idem: Estadísticas de accidentes de trabajo y enfermedades profesionales (quarterly).

The final data are published in:

idem: Anuario de Estadísticas Laborales.

idem: Estadística de accidentes de trabajo (yearly).

Each of these publications contains notes providing a brief description of some aspects of the methodology used.

For technical reasons and confidentiality requirements, not all data are published.

Public organizations, enterprises and individuals may obtain data concerning cross- references of unpublished variables upon request.

The data are available on diskette or magnetic tape.

Data published by ILO:

The following data are furnished regularly to the ILO for publication in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics, relating to reported injuries according to major division of economic activity: number of persons fatally injured, number of persons injured with lost work time, total of these two groups; the number of workdays lost by persons injured with lost work time; and the rates of fatal injuries. The number of persons at risk (total number of persons insured) is also supplied and stored in the LABORSTA database.

Confidentiality:

Organic Act 5/1992 (LORTAD), which regulates the automatic processing of personal data, limits access to private information. The Act requires that identifying information be eliminated prior to furnishing accident reports. This includes: the national identity document (DNI), the fiscal identity code (CIF), the worker's social security number, the enterprise's social security registration number, or any other information that would make it possible to identify the injured person. Other than purely technical ones, there are no restrictions on the publication of tables with group data.

International standards

When the new methodology for Occupational Accident Statistics was introduced in 1988, the recommendations of the 10th and 13th International Conferences of Labour Statisticians were taken into account in calculating accident rates. The most representative trade union organizations, employers' organizations, managing and collaborating social security organizations and the National Statistics Institute were consulted when changes were made in 1988 to the methodology used.

Method of data collection

Legislation:

The General Directorate of Social Security Resolution of 6 March 1973, which established an occupational disease notification form; and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Order of 16 December 1987, which established new forms for the notification of occupational accidents. Act 42/94 on Fiscal, Administrative and Social Measures reorganized the protective action of the social security system, established the factors determining temporary incapacity and permanent incapacity, and regulated the protection systems relating to both. All occupational accidents and diseases sustained by workers participating in social security schemes covering these contingencies must be reported. Occupational accidents are notified by means of the Accident Report when the worker loses at least one working day, and in the list of accidents without medically certified leave, when this is not the case. Occupational diseases are notified by means of the Occupational Disease Report whether or not they result in the worker being given a medical leave certificate. There is a deadline for notifying occupational accidents, which is based on the date of the medically certified leave. The employer must submit the occupational accident report to the managing or collaborating social security entity within a period of five business days from the date of the accident or the medically certified leave. The managing or collaborating entity in turn submits the report to the provincial labour authority corresponding to the workplace within a period of 10 business days from receipt of same.

Reporting:

The employer sends the notification forms to the managing or collaborating social security entity, which submits them to the competent labour authority. The labour authority, in turn, submits the corresponding copy to the General Subdirectorate of Statistics, at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Notification instructions are included in the notification documents themselves.

Data reported:

(a) information about the injured worker:

last name, first name, registration book number, sex, occupation, type of contract, social security registration number, social security scheme, PRIMA (Division, inscription), date of entry in enterprise, date of birth, national identity document, social security contribution group, length of service in post (months), applicable agreement or ordinance, address, province, municipality and telephone number;

(b) information about the employer:

name, fiscal identity code or national identity document, social security registration number, staff list, address, province, municipality, telephone number;

(c) information about the workplace:

address, province, municipality, telephone number, principal economic activity, association document number, social security registration number;

(d) information about the accident:

date and place (usual workplace, journey made during working hours, en route to or from work, to another worksite, time and day of week; usual work or not; date of medically certified leave; hour of work (1st, 2nd, etc.), description and type of accident; equipment or agency responsible for accident; witness' address and telephone number;

(e) medical assistance:

description and severity of the injury (minor, serious, critical or fatal), part of body injured; physician administering emergency treatment (first name and last name, address, telephone number), type of health establishment (hospital or outpatient clinic);

(f) information about contributions:

monthly contribution basis (in the previous month, number of days for which contributions were paid, regulatory basis), annual contribution basis (overtime hours, other methods, daily average), subsidy (daily average, regulatory basis, compensation).

Changes planned:

Not applicable.

Additional information

Compensation scheme

Section II of Act 42/94 on Fiscal, Administrative and Social Measures reorganizes the protective action of the social security system. The compensation scheme covers all occupational accidents. The employer has five business days, starting from the date of the medically certified leave, to submit the Occupational Accident Report to the managing or collaborating social security entity. This report is also used to claim compensation. Once revised and any unrecorded data added, the social security entity submits it to the competent labour authority within a maximum period of ten business days. The Labour Guidebook published annually by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is aimed at disseminating information on the services provided by the Labour Administration and on labour, employment and social security standards. Section XI, entitled Your rights and duties with respect to social security discusses various aspects of the services provided by the public social security system, making special mention of the benefits provided in respect of occupational accidents.