Cooperation in occupational safety and health must address matters that may have an impact on the employees’ safety, health, or work ability. (Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces 44/2006). 

Matters related to cooperation in occupational safety and health can apply to work, the working environment, and the work community These include

• matters directly affecting the safety and health of an employee and changes to these
• workplace practices
  • principles and the way in which hazards and risks are investigated
  • the need and arrangements for teaching, guidance and induction, including the needs of supervisors
  • organisation of the monitoring of the safety and healthiness of work
• arrangement and dimensioning of work and changes to these when they may cause harmful physical or psychosocial stress to the employee
• issues raised in the investigation of hazards and the occupational health care workplace survey
• development objectives and programmes targeted at:
  • activities that maintain work ability
  • support for continuing at work
  • another matter affecting the safety and health of workers
• statistical and other monitoring data related to work, the working environment, and the state of the work community, describing the safety and health of work, such as information on sickness absences.

In addition, the Occupational Health Care Act (1383/2001) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (738/2002) contain provisions stating that the following will be address in cooperation

• planning of occupational healthcare activities
• the start and any changes to occupational healthcare
• proposals made by employees and their representatives to develop occupational healthcare
• information on matters affecting the safety, health and work ability of employees at the workplace and related assessments, reports, and plans
• goals derived from the occupational safety and health action plan to promote safety and health and to maintain work ability.

Cooperation in occupational safety and health also includes monitoring the implementation of the decisions made and the impacts of the decisions.

Aim of cooperation to provide a genuine opportunity to influence the conditions at the workplace

Issues affecting the health and safety of an individual employee are discussed by the employee and the employer or a supervisor acting as the employer’s representative. Such matters may include, making work arrangements to reduce the worker’s workload. The occupational safety and health representative may participate in discussion on the matter either of their own initiative or at the request of an employee or supervisor. However, the occupational safety and health representative can only attend the meeting with the consent of the employee concerned.

More extensive safety issues that are the responsibility of the supervisor and concern the entire work unit are discussed in the work unit's own meetings. Employees also have the right to submit proposals for the development of occupational safety and to receive feedback from their supervisor on these.

Occupational safety and health matters that concern the workplace in general and extensively are addressed by the occupational safety and health committee. If no occupational safety and health committee has been set up, matters are addressed together by the employer and the occupational safety and health representative or employees. The members of the occupational safety and health committee may submit proposals for matters to be addressed by the committee. The person submitting the proposal has the right to receive justified feedback from the employer on their proposal.

The employer must also provide information on any factors that affect safety and health in the workplace and other circumstances that have an effect on the working conditions as well as on any assessments and other analyses and plans concerning them to the employees in a timely manner. Occupational safety and health matters must be addressed in a timely manner in the scope of cooperation by the employer and the employees or their representatives. Cooperation activities must have a genuine opportunity to influence activities at the workplace.