New occupational safety law in force

Greater responsibility to employers for preventing accidents at work

(Helsinki 19.02.2003 - Juhani Artto) The new occupational safety law that took effect in Finland on 1 January 2003 clarifies the responsibilities of employers. They are obliged to apply safety management methods in all of their operations, including planning and organising work. Besides construction sites, the definition of a common workplace has been extended to include such places as industrial halls and shopping centres. The new law also obliges employers to arrange relevant monitoring of workloads and the endurance of employees. Employers are responsible for matching human resources with the volume of work.

The Finnish government has also created a programme seeking a steady fall in the number and seriousness of occupational accidents (Prioritising occupational safety - occupational accident prevention programme 2001-2005). This programme consists of tightly focused research and training at both national and enterprise level.

Read more about the new law and the programme on Trade Union News from Finland.