Published: 30 November 2020
Nearly 136,000 accidents at work in Finland in 2018
A total of 135,500 accidents at work occurred in Finland during 2018. Of these, 124,400 occurred to wage and salary earners and 11,000 to self-employed persons (including farmers). The majority of all accidents at work, 112,700 cases, occurred at places of work or while in work traffic, whereas 22,800 accidents at work 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 2018
| Total | Accidents at work | Commuting accidents | |
| N | N | N | |
| Total | 135 505 | 112 718 | 22 787 |
| Less than 4 days | 86 277 | 71 655 | 14 622 |
| At least 4 days | 49 191 | 41 038 | 8 153 |
| Fatal accidents at work | 37 | 25 | 12 |
| Wage and salary earners | 124 441 | 102 275 | 22 166 |
| Less than 4 days | 80 936 | 66 674 | 14 262 |
| At least 4 days | 43 480 | 35 587 | 7 893 |
| Fatal accidents at work | 25 | 14 | 11 |
| Other Self-employed persons | 6 862 | 6 241 | 621 |
| Less than 4 days | 3 971 | 3 611 | 360 |
| At least 4 days | 2 882 | 2 622 | 260 |
| Fatal accidents at work | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| Farmers | 4 202 | 4 202 | – |
| Less than 4 days | 1 370 | 1 370 | – |
| At least 4 days | 2 829 | 2 829 | – |
| Fatal accidents at work | 3 | 3 | – |
| Farmers' accidents at work and commuting accidents are not separated. | |||
The number of accidents at work decreased in 2018. Slightly over 138,000 accidents at work occurred in 2017.
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 2018, a total of 37 persons died at their place of work or while commuting. Of these fatal accidents at work, 25 occurred to wage and salary earners, three to farmers and nine to other self-employed persons. In addition, 12 fatal accidents took place while commuting, of which 11 occurred to wage and salary earners and one to other self-employed person. The number of fatal accidents at work increased from the year before, as in 2017 a total of 30 persons died at the workplace or while commuting.
Of the victims of all fatal accidents at work, 25 were wage and salary earners, three farmers and nine other self-employed persons.
Links
Occupational accidents tables in databases . See Changes in the database.
The Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center (TVK) annually releases its own statistics on compensated occupational accidents and occupational diseases.
The Farmers' Social Insurance Institution (Mela) issues its own statistics on farmers' occupational accidents.
You can find annual data on accidents at work in the Member States of the European Union on the home page of the Statistical Office of the European Union, Eurostat https:eu//ec.europa.eu/eurostat .
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has since 1964 maintained the Finnish Register of Occupational Diseases.
Data on forest owners' and wage and salary earners' occupational accidents are available in the Statistical Yearbook of Forestry published by the Natural Resources Institute Finland ..
The Department for Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health maintains an accident report register.
Source: Occupational accident statistics 2018, Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Arto Miettinen 029 551 2963, Outi Stenbäck 029 551 2517, tyotapaturmat@stat.fi
Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala
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Updated 30.11.2020
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Occupational accident statistics [e-publication].
ISSN=1797-9544. 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 21.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ttap/2018/ttap_2018_2020-11-30_tie_001_en.html