Occupational Safety and Health Personnel in a Company

The occupational safety and health manager represents the employer in occupational safety and health matters. They are responsible for joint health and safety activities at the workplace. The health and safety manager is also responsible for familiarising employees with working conditions, acting as a contact person for various parties on health and safety issues and providing information on health and safety to both employees and the employer.

The occupational safety and health representative represents employees in occupational safety and health cooperation activities. A health and safety representative must be elected if the workplace regularly employs at least ten employees. An occupational safety and health representative can also be elected for smaller workplaces. The occupational safety and health representative is chosen by election, together with two deputy representatives. The occupational health and safety representative's duties include matters relating to health and safety at work. If the occupational health and safety representative identifies problems, they must report them to the employer and, if necessary, to the authorities.

The position of the occupational health and safety ombudsman is based solely on the collective agreement. In practice, only the largest companies have occupational health and safety ombudsmen. The occupational health and safety ombudsman represents the department in joint occupational health and safety activities.

If a workplace regularly employs 20 or more employees, it must have an occupational health and safety committee, unless otherwise agreed. The employer must take the initiative to establish the committee. The committee's members represent the employer and the employees. The committee's role is to promote safety and health at the workplace. However, it does not have independent decision-making authority.

The employer must inform the Centre of Occupational Safety of the personal details of the occupational safety and health manager, the occupational safety and health representative (and deputy representative), the members of the occupational safety and health committee and the occupational safety and health ombudsman by using the Centre's own application form.