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Work Accidents in Greece: statistics and claimed damages
Although the number of accidents is decreasing in recent years in Greece, in 2013 and 2014 they increased! While in 2010 we had the highest number of accidents with 5.721cases, in 2012 we had 4.858, in 2013 they increased to 5.126 and in 2014 in 5.497. The number of fatal accidents shows better trends: from 94 cases in 2010, fell to 63 in 2014. These are data from SEPE (Labour Inspectorate), without the data of 2014 to be final and this government body has not yet published its annual formal report. It is worth noting that the figures do not cover civil servants, sailors and workers in mines and quarries.
The employer is obliged by law to declare the accident at SEPE. Employees usually declare the accidents at IKA ( Social Security Body) due to the early retirement benefits claimed and their number is higher than that of SEPE.
The work accidents in 2014 originated by 18% from the wholesale and retail trade, 14% from manufacturing while the activity of the construction sector participated with only 7%, catering and accommodation with 6%, the same as transportation, while households as employers (i.e. household assistants) had 0 labor accidents! Interesting is that one in five accidents (22%) was connected with transport!
The decline in economic activity has influenced the number of accidents and their disclosure because employees are worried about keeping their jobs.
The Greek Statistical Office estimates the number of labor accidents using other methods, based on data from IKA and extrapolate them to the entire population and count the accidents in Greece to 2.6 times those reported by SEPE!! This would mean that for the 2014 labor accident would be 14.292 that shows the problem that exists with workers who are either uninsured or do not dare to declare their labour accident.
The consequences of a fatal accident are the charges and spending for first aid, hospital and healthcare contributions and compensations, the possible pensions to relatives of the deceased, the human suffering of the victim's family, the psychological problems of the family etc.
The compensation is defined, in addition to the amount of health expenses incurred or to be undertaken, and is based on the loss of income due to limited or full incapacity for work and on the circle of those who are affected. An important role will be played by any co-liability of the victim, as for example if he/she was under the influence of alcohol.
An interesting, comprehensive article on accidents at work, their developments in Greece and the comparison with the European comparable data is the following:
http://news247.gr/eidiseis/oikonomia/ergasia/meiwthhkan-ta-ergatika-atyxhmata-thn-teleytaia-15etia.3493994.html