As an employer in the Netherlands, you are obliged to report work-related accidents to the Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie, NLA) if the accidents result in the following:
- death
- permanent injury, such as blindness, amputation or chronic complaints
- hospitalisation
You also have to report a work-related accident if it becomes apparent only later on. The duty to notify applies to all your staff, including temporary worker and freelancers. If you fail to report a notifiable accident, the NLA can impose a fine of €50,000. You will find more information in the brochure Industrial accidents requiring notification and in the Major Accidents Legislation.
How do you notify work-related accidents?
If the victim dies, you must report the accident by telephone immediately. If the result of the accident is permanent injury or hospitalisation, you report this immediately by telephone or online.
Accident investigation
The NLA will decide if they need to investigate the accident as soon as possible. If further investigation will be carried out, then all persons involved have to cooperate with the investigation. Until an inspector arrives, you need to leave the scene of the accident untouched. Should the accident site create a serious hazard, the inspector may stop the work at once.
Keeping records
You must keep a record of all reported accidents and accidents that resulted in more than 3 days of sick leave. You must record the nature and date of any accidents. This information must be available to your employees.
Compensation for next of kin
The next of kin of victims of a serious and permanent industrial injury, or victims who die as a result of an event for which you are liable as entrepreneur, are eligible for compensation. The amount of compensation varies between €12,500 and €20,000 depending on the situation. This applies to dependents such as the spouse, children and stepchildren, as well as the parents of the victim.