The occupational safety and health authority is an independent enforcement authority. We conduct inspections both at our own initiative and at the request of our customers – employers and employees.

The five occupational safety and health divisions form part of the Regional State Administrative Agencies but are under the direct control of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. 

Organisation of the occupational safety and health administration

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's Department for Work and Gender Equality

The Department for Work and Gender Equality at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health steers the occupational safety and health divisions at the Regional State Administrative Agencies, prepares and develops occupational safety and health legislation and occupational safety and health policy, and manages international cooperation in the field of occupational safety and health. The Department has four Units:

Steering and Field Operations Unit

• deals with the supervision, administration and steering of occupational safety and health
• steers the regional activities of occupational safety and health
• steers the safety of equipment and the work of the occupational safety and health authorities.

Legislation Unit

• prepares and develops legislation concerning occupational safety and health
• provides guidelines and monitors the implementation of statutes
• prepares matters concerning the general applicability of collective agreements for the Board for Ratification of the Validity of Collective Agreements.

Policy Unit

• evaluates and prepares strategies and policy guidelines on occupational safety and health, occupational health care, work ability and wellbeing at work
• coordinates development associated with wellbeing at work
• is responsible for carrying out national and EU-level tasks for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
• handles issues pertaining to the European Union’s structural fund projects
• handles holiday and stand-in services for agricultural entrepreneurs and fur farmers, as well as substitute help for reindeer breeders.

Gender Equality Unit

• prepares and develops the Government’s gender equality policy
• prepares and develops gender equality legislation
• promotes the mainstreaming of gender equality in state administration
• handles tasks related to the EU’s gender equality law and policy and to international affairs.

Five occupational safety and health divisions at the Regional State Administrative Agencies

The occupational safety and health divisions manage the regional enforcement and steering of occupational safety and health. A key goal is to promote and maintain employee’s work capacity and functional capacity and to prevent work-related health hazards and harmful impacts. Monitoring also ensures compliance with the ground rules of working life at workplaces.

The duties of the occupational safety and health divisions at the Regional State Administrative Agencies are:

• managing occupational safety and health monitoring at the initiative of both customers and other authorities
• investigating the causes of serious occupational accidents, occupational diseases and work-related diseases and taking action to prevent them
• engaging in product safety control
• contributing to the investigating of employment-related offences.