Over 3500 serious accident victims successfully reintegrated

Life is good as long as nothing happens ... Sometimes it only takes a few seconds to completely change a life - a brief moment of distraction and an accident happens. After that, it can take months or years for people to find their way back to everyday life and work.

In 2019, Suva was able to successfully reintegrate 3519 people (89%) out of a total of 3940 seriously injured persons. The sector most affected was the main construction and ancillary construction trades, with 1172 people involved in accidents. Those affected had mainly injured their knees, shoulders or hands. People are considered successfully reintegrated if they are able to continue working after an accident either with their original employer or with a new employer and require no disability pension or only a small disability pension of less than 20 percent. Suva's reintegration success is at a consistently high level: on average, over 80 percent of people who have suffered a serious accident return to work after their accident.

Returning to work as soon as possible also pays off financially. Thanks to reintegration, Suva saves costs in the long term in the form of lifelong pensions. For every lifelong pension awarded, an average of around CHF 380,000 in capital has to be set aside. This saving benefits the insured in the form of lower premiums.

The personal environment promotes the healing process 

In addition to early and competent care, the moral support of those around you is also important for successful recovery and reintegration. Family and friends as well as employers and work colleagues can contribute a great deal to the recovery process. Small acts of kindness and positive conversations give the patient strength and new hope and thus support a successful recovery. "It is important that accident victims do not lose their social environment, feel needed and have a structure," explains Jonas Meier, Head of the Competence Centre for Occupational Integration at Suva's Bellikon Rehabilitation Clinic, which specializes in the rehabilitation of accident patients and occupational reintegration. "Our experience also shows that people want to return to work after an accident. Because work not only conveys external values such as income or prestige, but also brings people together and gives them a sense of purpose."

Press release Suva

New Suva campaign "Return to the workplace"

The aspects of being needed and missed at work are also addressed by Suva in its current "Return to work" campaign:

In partnership with Radio Energy, Suva is launching a competition until December 13, 2020. own digital radio channel  . Over the next six weeks, work colleagues, superiors, family and friends can send songs and personal greetings to people who have had an accident to let them know that they are missed. The wishes and songs of the participants are broadcast daily between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on the Suva channel. The accident victim receives a message when the greeting message and song is played for them.