National profile of occupational health system in Finland

A national profile of the occupational health system is an important instrument for policy-making and programme development, as recommended by the WHO Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health and the ILO Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention. This document provides an overall picture of the current status of governance of workers’ health in Finland, focusing on the national policy framework, priorities for action, objectives and targets, mechanisms for implementation, and human and financial resources for protecting and promoting workers’ health.

Along with the current statistics on occupational accidents, occupational diseases and work-related health problems, preventive and compensative approaches to noncommunicable diseases related to the working environment (such as musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and mental disorders) are described. Future priorities for occupational health system development in Finland are described, based on a survey of key stakeholders. The strengths and weaknesses of the Finnish occupational health system are analysed, together with opportunities and threats.

The document concludes with a list of the prerequisites for a minimum level of occupational safety and health infrastructure. An annex provides a brief history of the evolution of the Finnish occupational health system, along with the current activities of implementing the WHO Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health in Finland. Lessons from the Finnish occupational health system reported in this document will provide policy-makers and their advisers in the WHO Member States with up-to-date guidance on good practice in the governance of workers’ health to meet the challenges of the 21st century.