23. ACCIDENTS AND NEAR-MISS CASES
23. Accidents and Near-Miss Cases
In Finland, accidents at work and occupational diseases are compensated through the
statutory accident insurance system based on the Employment Accident Act. An employer
is obliged to take out statutory workers’ compensation insurance.
It is important to report all near-miss cases and dangerous situations, so that one
could learn from them and avoid accidents. There are near-miss cases and shortcomings
in safety procedures before an accident occurs. The information gained through
the reports can be useful when planning the job and working environment.
Report all dangerous situations and near-miss cases to your supervisor. He / she is responsible
for further actions. At the shared workplace the supplier must report the case
to the client’s contact person. The supervisor and the client’s contact person report
dangerous situations forward in accordance to company’s instructions. The number
of dangerous situations can be reduced through corrective actions based on reporting
and this will also reduce the number of serious accidents.
If there has been an accident, immediately report it to your supervisor. He will assist
you with getting medical treatment, fill in the accident report and inform the safety
manager of the shared workplace about the accident. The supervisor will start an investigation
and initiate corrective action in order to prevent similar accidents in the
future. The occupational safety manager should report serious accidents to the occupational
safety authorities and the police.
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