Citation

Coenen W, Meffert K. Int. J. Occup. Safety Ergonomics 1996; 2(1): 47-59.

Affiliation

HVBG--Hauptverband der geweblichen Berufsgenossenschatften, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10602578

Abstract

For decades, prevention has been an integral and important part of the German statutory accident insurance system. The very close link between prevention, rehabilitation, and compensation, which is so typical for the German system, had an extremely positive effect on the frequency of notifiable occupational accidents. What is more, if we compare benefits and costs of the system, it appears that prevention has also been successful in a strictly monetary sense. After a short outline of the basic principles of the German accident insurance system, the authors take stock of the last 33 years. The period between 1960 and 1993 also covers the repercussions of the German reunification in 1990. The trends in accident and disease frequency are presented together with the trends in costs and benefits. To allow a realistic comparison, all figures are indicated in terms of 1960. It can be shown that the average contribution rate to accident insurance decreased in the period under consideration. This is particularly remarkable if we look at the enormous increase in contributions rates that took place in all other branches of social insurance. Eventually, mention is made of the fact that the contribution rates of the different industrial branches are immediately dependent on the accident risks in those industries. The last part of the paper contains a qualitative and quantitative description of the prevention measures available to the German accident insurance institutions.

Language: en