Occupational health services at the workplace
In addition to the Occupational Health Care Act, occupational health care activities must be based on good occupational health care practice, which is laid down in Government Decree No 708/2013.
Occupational health care in accordance with good occupational health care practice must be client-oriented, independent, ethical, reliable, multi-disciplinary and multi-professional. It includes systematic occupational health care activities as well as monitoring and assessment of the quality and effectiveness of the activities. Cooperation between experts from different fields enables the harnessing of diverse information about the relationship between work and health and their management.
Osion alasivut
Occupational health care agreement
A written agreement on occupational health care services is signed between the employer and the provider of occupational health care services.
Organisation of occupational health care
The Occupational Health Care Act obligates employers to organise preventive occupational health care for all employees who work in Finland. The Act also applies to foreign employers and private individuals acting as employers.
Occupational health care action plan
The employer and the provider of occupational health care services prepare an occupational health care action plan based on a workplace survey and the health risks identified in it.
Workplace survey
The content of occupational health care and the planning of the activities are based on a workplace survey. It assesses the health risks and harms, stress factors and resources involved in the work, working environment and work community and their impact on employees’ health and work ability. At the same time, the need for first aid preparedness at the workplace is assessed.
Statutory health checks
In accordance with the occupational health care action plan, statutory health checks are performed on the basis of the exposures, risks, stress factors and special requirements of the work (work that presents a special risk of illness) identified in the workplace survey and the workplace’s risk assessment.
Advice and guidance
According to the Occupational Health Care Act, all occupational health care activities must include the provision of information, advice and guidance. Information, advice and guidance are also provided as a separate, planned activity to individuals and groups.
First aid preparedness
The workplace must have an adequate number of staff with first aid skills in relation to its circumstances and operations, the appropriate first aid equipment and instructions on how to act in emergency situations. Occupational health care participates in the planning and organisation of first aid preparedness at the workplace in the role of an expert.
Activities to maintain work ability
Maintaining working ability is a planned and goal-oriented activity that concerns work, working conditions and employees carried out in cooperation between the employer, employees and the cooperation organisations at the workplace, which supports and promotes the work ability and functional capacity of everyone in employment at all stages of their career. Maintaining work ability is an essential part of all activities in accordance with the Occupational Health Care Act. The main responsibility lies with the employer.
Medical care as part of occupational health care
In addition to statutory preventive occupational health care, the employer can organise general practitioner-level medical care, occupational health-oriented medical care, and other health care services for its employees. Kela provides reimbursement for the costs of general practitioner-level medical care, provided that the employer has an agreement on the provision of these services with the same service provider from which it acquires preventive occupational health care services. The employer and the service provider specify the scope of medical care included in occupational health care in the occupational health care agreement.