Small advances are the main trend in working conditions

(Helsinki 23.04.2004 - Juhani Artto) A new report, published by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, now provides a broad picture of trends in Finnish working conditions over the last few years. While some changes give cause for concern, the overall trend is favourable.

Favourable trends include decreases in violence at work, in perceived psychological workload and time pressure of employees, in reports of bullying and emotional violence at work, in heavy lifting and manual handling of heavy loads, and in the number of workers exposed to asbestos. Negative trends include increases in exposure to cold conditions, in repetitive work requiring force, in doses of UV radiation received by outdoor workers, and in exposure to radio frequency radiation.

Read more about the report on Trade Union News from Finland. A summary of the report in English is available as a pdf document on the Institute's website:

Työ ja terveys Suomessa 2003, (Work and Health in Finland 2003), English summary on pages 30-40 (pdf)