A workplace accident is an accident at work in which someone is injured. Any workplace accident resulting in hospitalisation, permanent injury, death or a risk of infection must be reported immediately to the Netherlands Labour Authority.
Report a life-threatening or fatal workplace accident by telephone on 0800 51 51. If you are using a foreign telephone number, call +31 70 33 35 678.
You can also report a workplace accident that is not life-threatening or fatal online:
Do I need to report my workplace accident?
A workplace accident must be reported to the Netherlands Labour Authority if it results in hospitalisation, permanent injury, death or a risk of infection. The employer is responsible for ensuring that the report is made.
Hospital admission may involve a stay of one or more days, or a short treatment lasting, for example, half an hour. Sometimes a person does not need to go to hospital straight away, but needs to go later. In that case, the accident must still be reported immediately. It could also be the case that a hospital does not treat someone straight away, but a few days later. The accident must still be reported immediately in that case. A visit to an out-of-hours GP service located in a hospital building does not count as hospital admission.
An injury is permanent if the person will not recover fully and the condition or impairment will last for the rest of their life. Permanent injury may be physical, such as the loss of a body part. It can also be psychological, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The permanent injury must be diagnosed by a medical specialist, not just a GP. Sometimes a permanent injury does not become apparent until long after an accident. In that case, the accident must still be reported immediately.
The victim has died as a result of the accident. Even if the person dies later, the accident must still be reported immediately by telephone.
If someone comes into contact with another person's blood at work, this can cause illnesses. For example, if a healthcare worker cuts themselves with a blood-stained scalpel or pricks themselves with a used needle. Or if a special investigating officer is bitten or scratched by someone. Any workplace accident involving a risk of transmission of a serious disease (category 3 and 4 biological agents) must be reported to the Netherlands Labour Authority.
Also report accidents involving hired-in workers, volunteers and students
A workplace accident involving hired-in workers, such as an agency worker or a self-employed person, must be reported by the employer who hired that person. A workplace accident involving a volunteer must also be reported. This also applies to a workplace accident involving an intern and to accidents involving a pupil or student in a practical training room.
Are you unsure whether the workplace accident needs to be reported? Report it to be on the safe side. If you fail to report a workplace accident immediately when required, you may face a fine.
What happens after I report it?
The Netherlands Labour Authority assesses whether the accident needed to be reported. If that is the case, one or more inspectors will attend the scene of the accident. This usually happens on the same day. The inspector will speak to witnesses and other people involved and gain an impression of what happened. This is followed by an accident investigation. In most cases, the employer himself carries out this investigation. In certain cases, the Netherlands Labour Authority carries out the investigation.