Examples work accidents

For insured gainful employment, a work accident is considered to be an accident that occurs in the following circumstances, by way of example:

• the accident occurs in a location, at a time and with a cause that correlates to the insured employment
• when working from home
• on the direct route from the permanent place of residence to work, to lunch or on the way home, whereby carpools are also protected
• for training sessions that serve to provide specific professional knowledge, whereby an accident on to way to or from the training centre is considered a work accident
• on the direct route from home, or from the workplace or training centre to a doctor and back, if this interrupts the direct route from the permanent place of residence to work or the route home (the doctor’s visit must be notified to the employer in advance)
• on the way to or from the workplace or training centre with the purpose of taking a child to or collecting them from a childcare facility, a daycare facility, external care or a school, insofar as they have a supervisory responsibility for the child
• when making use of advocacy groups or professional associations (Chamber of Labour, trade union federation, guild etc.)

For kindergarten children, schoolchildren and students, an accident is considered to be a work accident if, amongst other things

• the accident occurs in a location, at a time and with a cause that correlates to the school or university education or the compulsory kindergarten year that forms the basis of the insurance
• when taking part in a school event or school-related event
• on the direct route from the child’s place of residence or permanent accommodation to kindergarten or a school or university visit or on the way home
• when performing a practical task prescribed as part of the curriculum and/or the study regulations or
• in certain professional (training) orientations.

In an agricultural or forestry establishment, accidents can be considered work accidents if they do not occur directly while performing the insured employment. Depending on the protected group of people, the following tasks are covered by accident insurance:

• working in the household of the owner of the company and/or the employee, if the household serves the company to a considerable extent
• working in connection with providing accommodation for guests
• secondary occupations for the sale of agricultural products from the farm
• working in the context of erecting, converting and repairing buildings that serve the agricultural and forestry establishment
• working in the context of neighbourhood assistance for another agricultural and forestry establishment

Here, the provisions of the ASVG and the BSVG must be observed.

Certain accidents are considered the same as work accidents and in many cases can also affect people who do not have accident insurance. Accidents that occur in one of the following situations, among others, are considered to be work accidents outside of professional activity:

• for activities with which services from the Arbeitslosenversicherungsgestez/Arbeitsmarktförderungsgesetz are being made use of (e.g. on the way to an arranged job interview)
• when assisting with an accident or donating blood
• when receiving training, taking part in exercises or serving as a member of one of the following aid organisations:
  • Volunteer fire brigade
  • Volunteer water rescue service
  • Volunteer rescue organisations
  • Austrian Red Cross
  • Austrian Alpine Rescue Service
  • Austrian Water Rescue
  • Austrian Rescue Dog Brigade
  • Avalanche warning committees
  • Air rescue service
  • Radiation detection and survey crews

Legal basis

• sections 8, 175, 176 of the Allgemeines Sozialversicherungsgesetz (ASVG)
• section 148c of the Bauern-Sozialversicherungsgesetz (BSVG)