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Published: 30 November 2010

158,000 accidents at work occurred in Finland in 2008

Slightly more than 153,000 accidents at work occurred in Finland in 2008. Nearly 142,000 of them occurred to wage and salary earners and some 11,600 to self-employed persons (including farmers). The majority of the accidents, or around 130,500 of them, occurred at places of work or in work traffic, whereas around 22,700 of them occurred while commuting. These numbers also include minor accidents at work that led to disability lasting less than four days, and on which insurance companies paid compensation only for medical treatment expenses.

Number of accidents at work of wage and salary earners, other self-employed persons and farmers by severity in 2008

	Total	Accidents at work	Commuting accidents
Total	153 166	130 510	22 656
Less than 4 days	80 320	68 643	11 677
At least 4 days	72 786	61 826	10 960
Fatal accidents	60	41	19
Wage and salary earners	141 531	119 328	22 203
Less than 4 days	76 839	65 338	11 501
At least 4 days	64 644	53 960	10 684
Fatal accidents	48	30	18
Self-employed persons	6 389	5 936	453
Less than 4 days	2 695	2 519	176
At least 4 days	3 689	3 413	276
Fatal accidents	5	4	1
Farmers	5 246	5 246	—
Less than 4 days	786	786	—
At least 4 days	4 453	4 453	—
Fatal accidents	7	7	—

The number of accidents at work went up again in 2008. In 2007, there were slightly over 149,000 accidents at work and in 2006 the respective figure was just over 146,000. Most of the increase in the number of accidents at work is due to the full-cost responsibility system of patient care which was introduced at the beginning of 2005. Under this system, medical care facilities must always report the care of a victim of an accident at work to the insurance company. This legislative amendment has especially pushed up the number of minor accidents at work resulting in less than four days’ absence from work, some of which remained unreported in the past. Due to this change, the data for earlier years are not entirely comparable with the total data for 2005-2008. By contrast, the revision has a smaller impact on the number of wage and salary earners' accidents at work resulting in at least four days’ absence from work.

Since reference year 2005, an accident at work has been defined in Statistics Finland’s occupational accident statistics according to the definition used in Eurostat's (the Statistical Office of the European Communities) European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW). According to the definition the statistics contain data on accidents at work which have resulted in disability of at least four days. Most of the data in this online release are presented using this criterion. The time series have been revised retrospectively to correspond with the definition.

In 2008, a total of 60 persons died at the workplace or while commuting. Of these fatal accidents at work, 30 occurred to wage and salary earners, seven to self-employed farmers and four to other self-employed persons. In addition, 19 fatal accidents occurred while commuting, of which 18 occurred to wage and salary earners and one to a self-employed person. The number of fatal accidents at work fell clearly from the year before, for in 2007 a total of 76 persons lost their lives in fatal accidents at work or while commuting.

Of all the victims of fatal accidents at work, 48 were wage and salary earners, seven farmers and five other self-employed persons.

Source: Occupational accident statistics 2008, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Arto Miettinen (09) 1734 2963, tyotapaturmat@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 30.11.2010