Occupational safety and health is succeeded by working together
Work and working environment change constantly. Therefore, occupational safety and health requires continuous work. Well-managed occupational safety and health pays itself back
- in the form of well-being,
- having a long career and
- learning personnel.
YTN’s occupational safety and health goals
- Open occupational safety and health cooperation
- Tight cooperation at workplaces
Safety representatives at workplaces develop occupational safety and health together with other occupational safety personnel and employee representatives as experts. This way a safe and healthy work environment and good work ability for all personnel can be created.
Occupational safety and health is predictive and remedial
Predictive occupation safety and health takes into account the occupational safety and health aspect, among other things, in the organisation of works as well as in the planning of work assignments, methods and premises. In the remedial occupational safety and health, action will be taken immediately when defects have been detected in occupational safety and health or in working conditions.
The occupational safety and health of senior salaried employees often means focusing on the psychical and psycho-social workload, however, without ignoring physical work safety and ergonomics. Today the risks in an expert’s work are, for example
- overload of working hours,
- excess amount of work as well as
- business travelling during working hours and free time
The employer must sort out the risks and hazards resulting from these reasons.
If you detect problems at your workplace relating to safety or working atmosphere, please immediately contact the occupational safety and health operators at your workplace, who are:
- the employer
- an occupational safety committee or a similar combined cooperation body
- the occupational safety manager
- the occupational safety representative
- the occupational safety ombudsman
- the occupational health care
If you work as the occupational safety representative at your workplace, you will get help and advice from your own union’s occupational safety and wellbeing experts.
Harmful overload of working hours must be clarified
In the Finnish Occupational Safety and Health Act, working hours are deemed similar hazards and harmful factors as work premises, other work environment and working conditions.
The employer must clarify and identify risk factors resulting from working hours and assess their impact on the employees’ safety and health. The Occupational Safety and Health Act also covers supervisory and executive positions.
In the expert’s work, the time calculated in the employee’s work on the employer’s initiative must be seen as a potential risk. Such time is, for example,
- travelling that is generally not deemed part of working hours as well as
- situations where the employer expects that the employee is, for example, available to answer telephone calls or e-mails outside the regular working hours.
When you act as a staff representative, bring up matters relating to working hours with the employees you represent and forward their views to the occupational safety committee.
Read the instructions prepared for the staff representatives on the clarification of overload.