The occupational safety and health representative helps, for example, with:
- questions related to working ability
- in cases of bullying
- indoor air problems
Occupational safety and health measures at workplaces and the cooperation of the entire occupational safety and health service are based on legislation. Workplaces must have instructions and operating models that are known to everyone.
Do you know your occupational safety and health representative?
The orientation material, the workplace intranet and the notice board should contain information on who your occupational safety and health representative is. If necessary, you can also ask your supervisor or your own association.
What to do when things don't go smoothly at the workplace?
The most important tool for occupational safety and health is hazard identification and risk assessment.
It is therefore important that every employee always reports hazards and risks. In this way, the deficiencies become visible and they can be corrected.
Report any deficiencies in your working conditions to the employer first
Occupational safety and health is a joint effort. You have a duty to report any shortcomings or irregularities in your working conditions. These observations must be reported to your employer in accordance with the reporting practices of your workplace.
If you are not familiar with your workplace’s system, ask your supervisor or your occupational safety and health representative about it.
Occupational safety and health at the workplace is regulated by the Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces.
You can read more about the law on the Finlex website:
The occupational safety and health representative
- assist in matters affecting the safety and health of employees
- transfers information between the employees and the employer
- is familiar with the instructions and operating models concerning occupational safety and health at the workplace
- acts as a support person in situations related to occupational safety and health at the workplace, as necessary
Every workplace must have an occupational safety and health representative
The occupational safety and health representative and two deputy representatives are elected for two years at a time, unless otherwise agreed. In municipalities, the term of office for occupational safety and health representatives has been agreed to be four years.
The current election term in municipalities is 2022–2025. In private workplaces, the term can be agreed locally.
You can get more information from your occupational safety and health representative, shop steward or chief shop steward or, for example, the website of the Finnish Centre for Occupational Safety.
Go to the Centre for Occupational Safety website
Effective cooperation is an asset at the workplace
The purpose of occupational safety and health cooperation is to develop the health and safety of work and the working environment and to enable employees to participate in and influence the handling of matters concerning health and safety at the workplace.
There are two types of cooperation at the workplace:
- Immediate occupational safety and health cooperation at the workplace means that problematic situations at the workplace are immediately clarified between the parties involved and matters concerning the entire work community are discussed in joint forums (meetings, etc.)
- In representative occupational safety and health cooperation, the occupational safety and health representatives elected by the employees from among them investigate matters related to occupational safety and health together with the employer.
The employer has the primary responsibility for the health and safety of the workplace.