Heinrich’s triangle model of injuries (Heinrich 1931) is reflected in most countries' statistics, including EU statistics (Eurostat 2013,1), showing that a form of pyramidal relationship exists between the number of more serious consequence accidents like fatal and disabling accidents and those with less serious consequences. Emphasis on minimizing serious accidents, understood as those with serious consequences, would mean that one would focus on long absence, disability or death. Heinrich´s intention was to show that one can learn from the many minor accidents to prevent the more serious accidents. The question is whether one can usefully apply this Issue 2 2015 2 concept to the many accidents available in the Eurostat database or whether a different strategy is required. An accident at work can be defined as a discrete occurrence in the course of work which leads to physical or mental harm (Eurostat 2013,2). The concept “Accident” can also be defined as occurring as the result of a series of events that leads to an unexpected sudden event in which a person is injured by exposure to a hazard (Jørgensen 2008). The concept “injury” is in this paper understood as the harm or trauma the event caused the victim.
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