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Published: 30 November 2016

The number of accidents at work in Finland 124,000 in 2014

Slightly under 124,000 occupational accidents took place in Finland in 2014. Around 113,000 of these occurred to wage and salary earners and some 10,500 to self-employed persons (including farmers). The majority, or good 106,000 of all accidents at work occurred at places of work or while in work traffic, whereas slightly under 18,000 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 wage and salary earners’, self-employed persons’ and farmers’ accidents at work by severity in 2014

	Total	Accidents at work	Commuting accidents
	N	N	N
Total	123 849	106 115	17 734
Less than 4 days	71 547	61 276	10 271
At least 4 days	49 008	42 162	6 846
Fatal accidents	34	28	6
Wage and salary earners	113 311	96 075	17 236
Less than 4 days	67 854	57 793	10 061
At least 4 days	42 396	35 809	6 587
Fatal accidents	24	18	6
Self-employed persons	6 373	5 875	498
Less than 4 days	2 891	2 681	210
At least 4 days	3 255	2 996	259
Fatal accidents	4	4	0
Farmers	4 165	4 165	– 1)
Less than 4 days	802	802	–
At least 4 days	3 357	3 357	–
Fatal accidents	6	6	–
The total figure for wage and salary earners and other self-employed persons also includes occupational accidents whose implication data will be revised until the end of 2016.

1) Farmers' accidents at work and commuting accidents are not separated.

The number of accidents at work decreased clearly in 2014. In 2013, there were 135,000 accidents at work and in 2012 the respective figure was 139,000. Wage and salary earners' accidents at work increased from 2005 to 2008, but in 2009 the total number of accidents at work fell to the level where it was ten years previously. The economic downturn in Finland in 2009 and changes in the number of hours worked explain for the main part the change. It is not meaningful to make detailed comparisons of the time series prior and subsequent to 2005 with relation to total numbers (incl. cases resulting in disability of under four days) on account of the full-cost renewal that entered into force in 2005.

Since the reference year 2005, an accident at work has been defined in Statistics Finland’s statistics on occupational accidents according to the definition used in the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) of Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. 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 2014, a total of 34 persons died at the place of work or while commuting. Of these fatal accidents at work, 18 occurred to wage and salary earners, six to own-account workers in agriculture and four to other self-employed persons. In addition, six fatal accidents occurred while commuting, all of them to wage and salary earners. The number of fatal accidents at work remained on level with the previous year, for in 2013 a total of 35 persons lost their lives in fatal accidents at work or while commuting.

The victims of all fatal accidents at work included 24 wage and salary earners, six farmers and four other self-employed persons.

Source: Occupational accident statistics 2014, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Arto Miettinen 029 551 2963, Outi Stenbäck 029 551 2517, tyotapaturmat@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Updated 30.11.2016