Accident reports in Germany: when and how workplace accidents must be reported
If an employee is unable to work for more than three days, the employer must report the workplace accident – within three days. How the days are counted, who receives the report and what to do afterwards.
Last updated on 7 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- The employer must report an accident if an insured person dies or is unable to work for more than three days (Section 193 of Social Code Book VII, SGB VII). This also applies to commuting accidents.
- The report must reach the accident insurance institution within three days after the employer has learned of the accident.
- The works council co-signs the report; the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor are informed, and the labour inspectorate usually receives a copy.
- Fatal accidents and accidents with several injured persons should also be reported immediately, for example by phone.
When is an accident report mandatory?
Under Section 193 of Social Code Book VII (SGB VII), employers in Germany must report accidents involving their employees to the statutory accident insurance institution (Unfallversicherungsträger) – the employers' liability insurance association (Berufsgenossenschaft) or public accident insurance fund (Unfallkasse) – if the insured person dies or is injured so badly that they are unable to work for more than three days.
- workplace accidents on company premises, on construction sites or at customer sites
- commuting accidents on the direct route to and from work
- accidents on business trips or at company events
If there are indications of an occupational disease, the employer must also report this to the accident insurance institution (Section 193 (2) SGB VII).
Which deadline applies?
The accident report must be submitted within three days after the employer has learned of the accident (Section 193 (4) SGB VII). This means calendar days, not working days.
first aid, unable to work for three days at most
What needs to be done?entry in the first aid log (Verbandbuch)
unable to work for more than three days
What needs to be done?accident report within three days
fatal accident or several injured persons
What needs to be done?additionally report immediately, for example by phone
Submitting an accident report in 5 steps
- 1
Record the accident
As soon as possible, record when, where and how the accident happened, who was injured and who witnessed it.
- 2
Complete the form
Use the official “Unfallanzeige” form under the Accident Insurance Reporting Ordinance (UVAV). Many employers' liability insurance associations and accident insurance funds offer online reporting for this.
- 3
Involve the works council
The works council or staff council co-signs the report. For electronic submission, you state which member was informed.
- 4
Send the report
Send the report to the responsible accident insurance institution. For companies under general labour inspection, the responsible labour inspectorate receives a copy.
- 5
Inform and document
Inform the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor. The injured person can request a copy of the report.
What goes into the accident report?
- details of the company and the injured person
- date, time and place of the accident
- a detailed description of how the accident happened
- type of injury and injured body parts
- witnesses to the accident
- start of the inability to work and the doctor who provided initial treatment
Describe what happened factually and specifically. Assigning blame has no place in the report – statutory accident insurance pays benefits regardless of fault.
After the accident: eliminating the causes
The work is not done once the report has been sent. Every accident is a sign that protective measures are insufficient or not working:
- investigate the causes together with the manager and the occupational safety specialist
- review and update the risk assessment
- define measures with owners and deadlines and follow them up
- instruct employees in the affected area again
- discuss accidents in the occupational safety committee
Checklist: accident report
- Accident recorded immediately: time, place, sequence of events, witnesses
- Duration of inability to work checked – more than three days?
- Fatal accident or several injured persons reported immediately
- Accident report submitted within three days
- Works council has co-signed
- Occupational safety specialist and company doctor informed
- Causes investigated and measures defined
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, no sign-up – free to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
When must a workplace accident be reported?
If the insured person dies or is unable to work for more than three days. The day of the accident does not count, but weekends and public holidays do.
How quickly must the accident report be submitted?
Within three days after the employer has learned of the accident. Fatal accidents and accidents with several injured persons should also be reported immediately.
Does a commuting accident have to be reported?
Yes. Commuting accidents on the direct route between home and workplace are also insured and must be reported under the same conditions.
Who signs the accident report?
The employer or an authorised person. The works council or staff council co-signs the report.
What is the difference between the first aid log and the accident report?
Every first aid treatment goes into the first aid log, even for minor injuries. The accident report is required in addition if someone is unable to work for more than three days or dies.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
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