Employers have a duty to immediately notify occupational safety and health authorities and the police of any occupational accidents that result in death or a serious injury. Serious injuries are injuries that are highly likely to be permanent and complicate the normal functioning of the injured individual.

Examples of serious injuries include, among others,

• long bone fractures and fractures that may require surgery, severe spinal fractures, facial bone fractures, multiple rib fractures and haemothorax, severe open skull fractures and severe cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine fractures
• severe dislocations that result in permanent damage
• loss of a body part, such as a finger or a part thereof, and limb length discrepancy
• injuries caused to the organs of the abdominal cavity that require surgery
• brain damage, regardless of the degree of permanent effects
• permanent loss or deterioration of speech, vision or hearing, and loss of an eye
• burns and other types of skin injuries that require skin grafting, extensive burns and frostbite
• severe cosmetic deformities, such as loss of auricles or partial or complete loss of nose, and other severe deformities
• permanent serious medical conditions and life-threatening diseases and injuries.

It is always worth notifying the authorities if the final severity of an injury cannot be determined, as the nature of the injury may not become clear until further testing and examinations have been carried out.

Occupational safety and health authorities do not investigate injuries sustained by workers on their way to or from work (i.e. while commuting). These kinds of injuries therefore do not need to be reported to occupational safety and health authorities.

Submitting notices

Employers must notify the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of their Regional State Administrative Agency of any occupational accidents as soon as possible by either telephone or e-mail. See here for contact information. There is a form for reporting occupational accidents to occupational safety and health authorities that can be used for guidance.

Form: Reporting occupational accidents to occupational safety and health authority (pdf, in Finnish)

The Finnish Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces provides for penalties for failing to notify occupational safety and health authorities of occupational accidents.

The employer’s insurance provider must also be notified.