Reporting work-related accidents

Are you an employer in the Netherlands? You must report serious industrial accidents to the Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie, NLA). An inspector will then investigate the accident to decide the next steps.

What is an industrial accident?

An industrial accident (work-related accident) is an accident that happens at the workplace or during working hours and which harms an employee’s health.

Duty to report industrial accidents

You have to report accidents that result in:

• death
• permanent injury, such as blindness, amputation or chronic physical or psychological complaints
• hospitalisation

You have to report such accidents immediately to the NLA. You also have to report work-related accidents that become apparent only later on. The duty to report applies to all your staff, including temporary workers and freelancers. Failing to report results in a fine of up to €50,000. You can find more information in the Major Accidents Legislation.

How do you report work-related accidents?

You report fatal work-related accidents immediately by calling the NLA via 0800-5151. If the accident is not fatal at the time of reporting, you must also immediately call this number or use the Dutch-language online form.

Accident investigation

The NLA investigates all notified accidents as soon as possible. You have to leave the scene of the accident untouched until the inspector arrives. You must co-operate with the investigation by giving the inspector all the required information, access, and assistance. If the accident site creates a serious hazard, the inspector can stop the work at once. If the inspector identifies any workplace safety violations you will be sanctioned as a result.

Employer investigation

In most cases, the inspector will tell the employer to conduct a further investigation (zelfinspectie, in Dutch) into the cause of the accident. The employer must make a plan to improve the safety of the workplace to prevent future accidents. The investigative report and improvement plan will be reviewed by the NLA. The NLA will also check if you carry out the improvement plan.

Registering reported accidents

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.

Damage compensation for liability

Are you liable for an accident that happened at work in which your employee was seriously injured or died? You must pay compensation to your employee or the family. There are different types of compensation.