ISSN 1458-4433 © All rights reserved. The trade union press is hearby authorised to use this material. E-mail your comments, questions and subscription requests to get the latest stories from this service sent free of charge directly to your e-mailbox. The news service is sponsored by SAK, the largest central trade union in Finland, and ten of its 23 affiliated unions. If you want the text quicklyto be translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish, you may try Babel fish, but remember what its provider says: "Machine translation produces reasonable results in many cases. But you should not rely on it." |
Construction industry seeks ways to reverse worsening accident rate Helsinki (13.09.2002 - Juhani Artto) Alarm bells are ringing in the construction industry, where the safety record has been deteriorating annually since 1996. Last year the accident rate increased by a further 6 per cent, as the number of accidents rose by 2 per cent, while the total number of working hours fell by 4 per cent. More than 18,000 accidents were registered for compensation. The number of fatal accidents has also increased. Last year 13 construction workers died at work. In the 1990s the average was 11 fatalities in a year. The risk of accident in construction is now three times higher than in other industries. Indeed these other industries are characterised by a general downward trend in the accident rate. One important factor behind the gloomy figures for construction is the new way in which work is organised. "Projects nowadays are divided into small subprojects, with an increasing number of small enterprises exacerbating management problems on construction sites," says Sakari Seppänen, a safety expert at the Federation of Accident Insurance Institutions. "The traditional approaches to accident prevention no longer suffice," he stresses. Seppänen says that occupational safety must be managed in the same way as other aspects of construction. No sustainable improvement is otherwise achievable. Comprehensive reform needed Veijo Huotari, a safety secretary at the Finnish Construction Workers Union, also blames the increased tempo at which workers are expected to perform. "Constant haste, coupled with the division of responsibility between small, separate units, have led to a situation in which safety aspects get too little attention," he complains. Huotari thinks that a comprehensive reform of safety culture at construction sites is needed: "Both enterprise managers and site supervisors must make a commitment to safety in a different way than at present." "Responsibility must also be demanded of employees," he adds. Reijo S. Lehtinen, a safety secretary at the Construction Enterprises Association, is especially concerned by the situation on the worksites of unaffiliated employers. He refers to statistics indicating a particularly bad record at such sites. "There is no single remedy that will improve the situation," Lehtinen says. All parties agree that the present unfortunate trend must be reversed, and they are therefore working together to find ways of achieving this. Source: Kari Rissa, "Rakennusalan tapaturmakehitys vaatii pikaista parannusta", ["Accident trend in the construction industry in urgent need of improvement"] Rakentaja 5 June 2002, [the magazine of the Finnish Construction Workers Union] |
Guide for Foreigners Working in Finland by SAK, STTK and Akava Ten years of working conditions in the European Union, Eurofound's research summary (pdf-file) In terms of real property, one Finland equals two Nokias, Helsingin Sanomat 08.01.2001 The growth of the Finnish economy did not eradicate unemployment, Helsingin Sanomat 03.01.2001 Only one Finn in nine actually retire as late as 65, Helsingin Sanomat 02.01.2001 Incomes policy agreement approved; The incomes policy agreement in a nutshell;The economic backgrounf of the incomes policy agreement SAK 15.12.2000 Collective bargaining in Finland 1999-2000, Pekka Sauramo, Labour Institute for Economic Research, Helsinki (pdf-file) Working environment greater cause of absenteeism than lifestyle Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 05.12.2000 New job creation down 50 % this year Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 01.12.2000 Made in Hong Finland Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 28.11.2000 Bars and restaurants among Finland's most hazardous work places Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 27.11.2000 Finland faces labour shortage in all sectors in 2005 Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 23.11.2000 New two-year incomes agreement announced Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 17.11.2000 Increased disparities in wealth distribution Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 09.11.2000 Floating shopping centers might become a thing of the past Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 24.10.2000 SAK member unions vote to go with two-year wage deal Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 03.10.2000 National Economy and State Finances Ministry of Finance Occupational Safety and Health Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Dispute highlights threats to Finnish seafarers' jobs eironline Strikes break out as bargaining round nears conclusion eironline "Barometer" examines industrial relations in Baltic states eironline Strike levels fall in 1999 eironline Action programme launched to promote "ability to cope" at work eironline SAK computer campaign proves successful eironline European working time conference held in Helsinki eironline
Etusivu - The Finnish Link Resource |