Occupational health services
The employer is in charge of occupational safety and health at the workplace. Employers are required by law to organize and pay for preventive occupational health services for all workers regardless of the size, industrial sector or form of the enterprise. Both public and private sectors are covered.
The employer may also provide their employers with curative services. Although curative services are voluntary, they are nevertheless included in 80% of the service agreements. Joining the occupational health service system is voluntary for self-employed entrepreneurs, e.g. farmers.
Occupational health services can be organized in several ways; through municipal health care centres, private medical centres, or the services may be integrated into the enterprise, or enterprises can organize them jointly.
The functions of occupational health include assessing the significance on health of dangers and hazards in the workplace, preventing problems through early intervention, promoting health and work ability together with developing the work environment and workplace communities.
Occupational health services deal with work-related illnesses and accidents and their prevention, monitoring and promoting health in the workplace and identifying the threat of work disability at an early stage. Alongside making preventive services in occupational health services more effective, curative services have an important role in supporting the health, work ability and occupational well-being of employees for the whole duration of their working lives.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health supervises the occupational health service and safety system. On the page called Information sources, you will find more relevant information of occupational health service, e.g. legislation, guidebooks and literature.
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