Tasks of the occupational safety and health authority to be transferred to the Finnish Supervisory Agency on 1 January 2026

Starting 1 January 2026, the tasks of the occupational safety and health authority will be transferred to the new Finnish Supervisory Agency. At the beginning of 2026, the Finnish Supervisory Agency’s Occupational Safety and Health Department will launch its work as the competent national occupational safety and health authority. Until the end of this year, the Divisions of Occupational Safety and Health of the Regional State Administrative Agencies will act as the regional occupational safety and health authority. These will be terminated in the reform.

From the beginning of 2026, the Finnish Supervisory Agency’s Occupational Safety and Health Department will continue to carry out occupational safety and health inspections in the same manner as now with the current personnel throughout Finland. The permits and notifications that are the responsibility of the occupational safety and health authority will also be processed in the same manner as previously. The Tyosuojelu.fi website, the occupational safety and health authority’s telephone service and e-service channels will continue to serve clients in the same manner as currently.

Currently, the five independent Divisions of Occupational Safety and Health of the Regional State Administrative Agencies act as regional occupational safety and health authorities. In the future, the Occupational Safety and Health Department at the Finnish Supervisory Agency will have a director who will direct the activities of the occupational safety and health authority at the national level. The department will be divided into national operating units. 

The Regional State Administrative Agencies will cease to exist at the end of this year. Most of the tasks of the Regional State Administrative Agencies will be transferred to the new Finnish Supervisory Agency, which will launch its operations on 1 January 2026. All of Valvira’s tasks and most of the tasks of the ELY Centres related to the environment will be assigned to the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The reform is part of the state’s regional government reform, the legislation on which was approved by Parliament on 18.6.2025. The aim of the regional government reform is to harmonise and streamline permit and supervision practices at the national level.

Read more: Tyosuojelu.fi/agency-reform