Occupational safety and health authorities include the Regional State Administrative Agencies’ Divisions of Occupational Safety and Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in respect of the supervision of product safety. Occupational safety and health authorities are responsible for ensuring the regulatory compliance of personal protective equipment, machinery and technical devices intended for professional use.

If an inspection carried out by a Regional State Administrative Agency’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health reveals that a product does not satisfy the applicable requirements and the non-compliances are not rectified while the case is in the hands of the inspectors, any unresolved elements of the case can be referred to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The Ministry then investigates the case and consults with the company whose product is in question about the non-compliances. If the non-compliances cannot be rectified, the Ministry can prohibit the sale or use of the product.

Decisions of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health concerning non-compliant products

Since 2022, the market surveillance decisions of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health have been published in the Vaarallisettuotteet.fi (dangerous products) online service maintained by the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). Some of the Ministry’s decisions concern products that have been found to be dangerous and others relate to products that, although not deemed to be dangerous, have been found to be defective. The online service contains information about the products and companies affected by the Ministry’s decisions and about the defects found.

Vaarallisettuotteet.fi online service (finnish and swedish)

Decisions on non-compliant products issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, published before 2022

The decisions and notices are only available in Finnish.