Occupational health care activities are based on a comprehensive workplace survey conducted by the occupational health care professionals. A workplace survey must be performed in all workplaces that have employees. In the workplace survey, occupational health care professionals investigate and assess the work and the circumstances in the workplace in terms of health and safety. They also assess the impact of those factors on the employees’ health and ability to work. 

In order to prepare the workplace survey, occupational health care professionals will visit the workplace to assess health hazards and if necessary, carry out measurements to verify the hazards. They can also use a number of employee questionnaires.

In the survey, the occupational health care professionals will take into account the circumstances and exposure agents present in the workplace, the physical and psychosocial workloads, work arrangements and the risks of accidents and violence. The workplace survey includes investigating first aid readiness in the workplace. The employer has a duty to submit the necessary information about the workplace and workload factors to the occupational health care service for the workplace survey. 

The workplace survey includes proposals by the occupational health care service on how to improve working conditions and promote work capacity. The employer is responsible for implementing the proposals made by the occupational health care service. In addition, the workplace survey includes an assessment of the need for employees’ health examinations in work that presents a special risk of illness, for example.

The employer is responsible for

• organising the workplace survey
• ensuring that the workplace survey is up to date
• keeping the workplace survey on display in the workplace
• implementing the proposals made by the occupational health care service.

Organising the workplace survey in the workplace is the responsibility of the employer 

The employer is responsible for organising the workplace survey and for keeping the workplace survey updated. The employer must ensure that the occupational health care service is provided with all the information required to assess and prevent health hazards and associated harmful effects presented to the employees. When performing the workplace survey, the risk assessment conducted by the employer should be utilised. In addition, the employer must ensure that the survey performed is sufficiently extensive to enable the occupational health care professionals to make proposals that will improve the working conditions.

The employer must display the workplace survey in the workplace so that all employees have access to it. 

Targeted workplace survey

In addition to the basic workplace survey, the occupational health care service may perform a targeted workplace survey. However, a targeted workplace survey cannot replace a basic workplace survey. A targeted workplace survey allows for a more detailed investigation of the workplace hazards. Potential grounds for a targeted workplace survey include chemical exposure agents present in the workplace, physical and psychosocial workload, occupational ergonomics, and suspected indoor air quality issues. It is the task of the occupational health care service to assess the significance of the working conditions in terms of employee health and to make proposals to the employer on how to improve the situation. 

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