An accident at work is any bodily injury you suffer in the course of or as a result of the work you do as an employee (General Social Security Act, Article 156). It also includes, among others:
- Accidents on the way to or from work (in itinere).
- Accidents while doing tasks other than your own on the company's orders or in its interest.
- Accidents during rescue actions connected with work.
What to do
- If anyone is injured, call 112 and the workplace first-aid staff.
- Tell your supervisor immediately (Law 31/1995, Article 29), even if it seems minor.
- Ask for a written record of what happened, where, at what time and who saw it.
- For medical care, your employer will tell you which mutua (the mutual insurer working with Social Security) to go to.
Special protection
- Particularly sensitive workers (because of their personal characteristics, health or a disability): the employer must protect them specifically (Article 25).
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the risk assessment must consider the risks to the worker and the foetus and, if necessary, adapt the job (Article 26).
In practiceYou twist your ankle on the stairs as you leave work. It is an accident at work
in itinere if you were on your usual route: report it the same day.
Source: Ley General de la Seguridad Social (Real Decreto Legislativo 8/2015; General Social Security Act, in Spanish), Article 156 · Ley 31/1995, de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales (Law on the Prevention of Occupational Risks; consolidated text, in Spanish), Articles 25, 26 and 29