Every calendar year, insurance institutions underwriting insurance as defined in the Workers’ Compensation Act as well as the State Treasury are required to provide TVK with necessary information on policyholders and claims.

Under the Act on Farmers’ Accident Insurance, compensable claims are reimbursed and compiled into statistics by the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution (MELA), which is the national institution responsible for the social security of farmers and grant recipients.

Why do we compile statistics?

Statistical data on accidents at work and occupational diseases are collected in order to

  • guide and develop efforts to improve safety at work
  • provide data for financiers of the insurance system
  • monitor cash flows.

In determining insurance premiums, insurance companies require data on the risk levels of occupational accidents and diseases of each insured profession.

What are the statistics based on?

The Workers’ Compensation Act specifies the types of statistics to be collected on occupational accidents and diseases. TVK has a legal duty to maintain the register and collect statistical data. Insurance companies must submit the required information to TVK’s register.

In Finland, the collection of statistics is also governed by a number of international regulations and treaties. Among the most important of these are the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work and its related Commission Implementing Regulation, as well as Conventions ratified by the ILO on statistical obligations.

Who decides which data are collected?

The Workers’ Compensation Act, EU law and ratified ILO Conventions provide a general framework on the types of statistical data to be collected. Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, TVK decides on the types of data to be collected after consulting the insurance institutions that produce the data.

Who processes statistical data?

At TVK, the unit responsible for receiving statistical data and maintaining registers is the Actuary and Statistics Unit. Occupational safety statistics published by TVK are compiled by Research and Analysis Services together with the Actuary and Statistics Unit.

In order to ensure that the data are representative of the country as a whole, statistics are also collected on farmers. Data from TVK and Mela on occupational accidents and diseases are combined by Statistics Finland and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, respectively.

Statistics Finland and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health also forward the necessary information to the European Commission and the ILO.

What are the data used for?

TVK compiles statistics, reports and calculations on occupational accidents and occupational illnesses from its own registers..

In addition, our information service assists the media, employers, stakeholders and researchers in various requests for statistical data.

Data from TVK’s register are disclosed to the Finnish Centre for Pensions, Statistics Finland, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Eurostat and the ILO, among other recipients. With a separate authorisation process, the data may also be disclosed for scientific research purposes.