Accidents and near misses show where the working environment is failing. A near miss (tilløb) is an incident that could have led to injury but did not. The rules are in §§ 5, 30, 31 and 33 of the executive order on systematic working environment work (BEK no. 608 of 29 June 2026) and in the executive order on reporting accidents at work etc. to the Working Environment Authority ("bekendtgørelse om anmeldelse af arbejdsulykker m.v. til Arbejdstilsynet", BEK no. 565 of 23 June 2026, in force from 1 July 2026).
Who does what?
- The working environment group takes part in the investigation of accidents, poisonings, health damage and near misses, helps prevent a repeat and informs the employer about accidents at work (§ 31(2), nos. 4-5).
- The working environment committee makes sure the causes are investigated and that measures are taken to prevent a repeat. Once a year it produces an overall overview of accidents, poisonings and health damage (§ 30(2), no. 6).
- The employer makes sure the working environment organisation follows up on accidents and near misses (§ 33(5)), and keeps a list and prepares reports of accidents at work (§ 5, no. 2).
- The working environment organisation must have access to the lists and descriptions of the course of events (§ 35(5)).
When must an accident be reported?
The employer must report an accident at work or poisoning if it has led to at least 3 days of absence from the injured person's usual work beyond the day of injury. The report must be made no later than 14 days after the first day of absence (BEK 565, § 1).
This also applies to work-related physical violence, threats and other offensive behaviour outside working hours if it causes at least 3 days of absence.
How is it reported?
- Digitally to the Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet), through the joint reporting system of Arbejdsmarkedets Erhvervssikring (the Danish labour market occupational injuries insurer) and the Working Environment Authority (§ 2).
- The report must contain, among other things, information about the injured person, the injury, the company, the place of the accident and the course of events (appendix 1).
- The employer must give the working environment organisation access to the report and give the injured person a copy (§ 3).
If the accident is less serious than the duty to report requires, it must still be taken seriously and investigated internally.
How to investigate an incident
- Make sure everyone is safe. Help the injured person and secure the place.
- Describe the incident. What happened, when and where? Who saw it?
- Find the causes. Ask "why?" several times. Often the cause is the organisation of the work, the equipment or the instruction, not a single person.
- Agree measures. Who does what, and by when?
- Follow up. Did it work? Include it in the APV and in the annual overview.
Keep the focus on learning
If colleagues are afraid to report near misses, you will not find out where the risk is. Make it easy to report, and show that something happens afterwards.
Document and follow up
Keep the investigation together with the list of accidents. Take the subject up at the next meeting of the working environment organisation, and agree who follows up on the measures, and when. Use the result in the next APV and in the annual overview.