What is an occupational injury?
An occupational injury is a health impairment or death of an employee that occurs independently of the employee's will:
- by short-term, sudden and violent external influences
- while performing work tasks or in direct connection with them. See the FAQ below for an explanation of these terms.
- An incident will also be classified as an occupational injury if it occurs due to the performance of work duties (a typical example is a government official being attacked by a dissatisfied client outside working hours and the employer's premises, for reasons related to their professional responsibilities).
An example of an occupational injury can be a fall from a ladder while performing work tasks and a subsequent fracture of the employee's arm.
However, it always depends on the individual assessment of the circumstances and it is not possible to say in advance whether the incident will be classified as an occupational injury.