Trade Union News from Finland

Helsinki (19.02.2003 - Juhani Artto) Despite the massive human and material investments in occupational safety and health made in the 1990s, there has been no decisive improvement in occupational safety. This conclusion may be drawn from statistics for the period 1992-2000 shown below:

Table 1. Compensated industrial accidents
   and occupational diseases, 1992-2000  

   Table 2. Fatal work-related accidents
   and occupational diseases, 1992-2000  
 

   Table 3. Frequency of fatal work accidents
   and occupational diseases, 1992-2000

In 1980 there were 36 accidents per million working hours (an accident is defined as causing at least three days of sick leave). The corresponding figure for 1993 was 20 accidents. Progress since then has been slow, with a figure of 18 accidents per million working hours in 2000.

All parties in working life regard this virtual stagnation of progress in safety as unacceptable. While human suffering must naturally be reduced, this is not the only motivation for increased efforts to prevent accidents and occupational diseases: industrial accidents are also costly.

EUR 500 million a year in direct expenses

In the year 2000 insurance companies paid out almost EUR 500 million in compensation for accidents and diseases. This figure gives some idea of the costs incurred from failures in occupational safety and health arrangements. Experts estimate that the total cost is at least EUR 1,000 million, and may run to as much as EUR 2,500 million when indirect costs are included.

These indirect costs include additional labour costs, rescue, clearance, cleaning and repair work, disrupted production, delays, quality problems, loss of property and increased insurance premiums.

Over the last few years the importance of a third factor has increased. Occupational safety and health work is also expected to assist in slowing the drift towards early retirement. Macroeconomists consider that at 59 years the present average age of retirement is two or three years too low. The retirement age must be increased to ameliorate the consequences of the rapid ageing of the population.

Zero vision emerging

The Finnish government has responded by creating 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. With 40 per cent of accident-related fatalities, the construction industry is one of the main research and training fields.

The idea of zero vision has gained currency, emphasising the urgent need for radical reductions in the annual number of accidents. The programme for 2001-2005 lists the measures to be taken at a workplace in order to establish a good safety culture as follows:

• safety action policy and management
• example and commitment of management and supervisors
• integration of safety aspects into all operations (e.g. management, planning, production, procurement, finance, marketing, human resources)
• consideration of safety at management, departmental and group meetings
• inclusion of safety aspects when planning work, working methods and workstations
• inclusion of safety aspects in the organisation of work, management and supervision
• ensuring functional capacity and skills
• use and preference for safe working practices
• risk assessment and management
• use of best available technology, safe working methods and work equipment
• effective planning and implementation of action to maintain working capacity
• maintaining and developing continuous safety training
• orientation and guidance of personnel
• efficient and adequate information flow
• openness in dealing with accidents and hazardous incidents and willingness to learn from them
• provision of feedback
• reaction to matters and readiness to act immediately.

Safety management in demand everywhere

One of the major factors obstructing progress in occupational safety and health is the increase in outsourcing and subcontracting. This has led to new risks. In recent years about 40 per cent of fatal accidents have occurred at large workplaces with management divided between several employers. The risks have also been increased by greater use of agency labour at workplaces.

The new occupational safety law that took effect 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.

Requirement to manage constant rapid change

An accelerating pace of work and increased stress have caused more exhaustion, which in turn has increased the risk of accidents. The new safety law 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.

Constant rapid change at workplaces increases accident risks. Statistics indicate that two out of three fatal accidents occur in jobs or functions where working conditions and the environment, or details of the work have changed rapidly. Such work is done, for example, in the construction industry, installations, maintenance and warehouse keeping, in mines, agriculture and forestry, and in the transport sector.

New safety problems have arisen from the massive use of new chemical and biological substances. These risks are reflected in occupational disease statistics, where chemical and biological factors play a larger role than in the 1980s.

Statistical methods reformed

The methods used in compiling occupational accident statistics have also been revised since 1 January 2003. The reform seeks to improve the information gathered, especially in relation to high-risk jobs and structural changes in working life. The new statistical methods allow businesses to compare the safety performance of their various workplaces with national figures for the industry. It will likewise become easier to compare various EU Member States.

The statistical reform is based on the recommendations of the EU statistical office - Eurostat.

Note:

Accident risks are nowadays significantly greater in traffic, at home and during leisure time than at work. Some 900,000 accidents occur every year in Finland, and only about 11 per cent of these are occupational accidents. Less than three per cent of the 2,600 accidental fatalities that occur annually are occupational accidents, including work-related traffic accidents.