11 occupational accident investigations in 2025, five in investigation teams

Fatal occupational accidents investigated through TOT investigation

In 2025, the preparatory phase of the TOT investigation process investigated 10 fatal occupational accidents that were considered compensable incidents according to the Worker’s Compensation Act (TyTAL, 459/2015) or section 5 of the Farmers' Acciden Insurance Act (MATAL, 873/2015). These accidents claimed the lives of nine employees and one farmer. Occupational accidents most commonly occured in the construction and transportation sectors. The most common mechanism of accident was crushing and falling. The average age of the victims was approximatey 40 years. The youngest victim was 19 years old and the oldest victim was 66 years old. In four cases, the person was working alone.

Overall, 19 fatal accidents were investigated through the TOT process during 2025. However, nine of these accidents were not considered compensable incidents according to TyTAL (459/2015) or MATAL (873/2015), which is a basic requirement for cases to be investigated according to the law governing TOT operations. In these cases, the persons involved were, among others, posted workers, retired, or the incidents did not otherwise meet the definitions of compensable incidents under TyTAL (459/2015) or section 5 of MATAL (873/2015). Of the cases that fell within the scope of TOT investigation, the investigation was continued by investigation teams in five fatal occupational accidents. However, one of the investigations was discontinued shortly after the decision to continue was made, because the person involved was a posted worker, and therefore the incident did not meet the requirements to continue the aforementioned investigation. In addition to the four aforementioned cases that had proceeded to the team investigation phase, the investigation team also continued their work on on serious, non-fatal occupational accident that resulted in a farmer becoming disabled.

No comparable statistics available of the TOT process or incidents investigated during the preparatory phase of the process from previous years. When examining fatal occupational accidents that occured during work or at the work site to employees and entrepreneurs, who had insured themselves voluntarily, and were compensated in accordance with TyTAL (459/2015), trends have varied in the 2020s. In 2020, there were 19 fatal occupational accidents, and in 2021, there were 13. The highest numbers are from 2022 and 2024, when the number of people dying in occupational accidents was 26. The lowest number of fatal occupational accidents is from 2023, where 12 occupational accidents resulted in fatal injuries. From a long-term perspective, the trend has been very positive: in the 1970s and 1980s, occupational accidents typically claimed the lives of over 100 people, and even in the early 2000s, the number was between 30 and 50 lives per year.

For more information on incidents investigated through the TOT process and deemed compensable according to TyTAL (459/2015) and section 5 of MATAL (873/2015), please see the 2025 listing of fatal occupational accidents(Avaa uuden ikkunan)(only in Finnish)The ongoing and finished TOT investigations can be found in TOT-raportit | Työtapaturmatieto(Avaa uuden ikkunan) (mainly in Finnish).

The methods of injuries highlight crushing

Fatal injuries were most commonly caused by situations, where the employee was crushed under a heavy load or moving parts of a machine. Of the cases investigated in the preparatory phase of the process, two cases involved a driver being crushed by a load that had tipped over or fell during loading. In one case, the accident was caused by lowering a heavy low-bed trailer. In addition, in one of the cases an employee was crushed under a roller-compactor, in another a product manufacturer was crushed between moving parts of a machine, and in a third case, an employee was wedged between a trash can and a wall while in an elevator. Two of these incidents occured within an area meant for loading and unloading goods. Two occured in a maintenace area or repair area and one at a construction site. The occupational accident that resulted in serious injuries for the farmer was caused by getting stuck in the bale compactor door.

In three cases out of ten the fatal injuries were a result of falling, hitting the ground due to falling, or drowning. The incidents involving hitting the ground occured during shipbuilding and food manufacturing. In one of the cases, the person fell from a height of approximately 8 metres, and in another, the person fell from a ladder at the height of approximately 1.5 metres. The drowning occurred at a bridge-building site, where the employee fell into a flowing river from a hole on the bridge deck.

Three of the incidents occurred in construction, two in road transport and two in food industry. Other incidents occurred in shipbuilding, mining and livestock rearing. The vast majority of fatal occupational accidents in 2025 were so-called traditional occupational accidents. A typical characteristic of these types of occupational accidents is that the underlying risks and preventative measures are already well known. This is particularly evident in cases involving falls, the use of machinery and equipment, handling animals, and lifting heavy loads, all of which were also prominent factors in fatal occupational accidents that occured in 2025. Utilising existing knowledge, systematic improvement of working methods, and ensuring compliance with safe practices are still key measures in preventing similar accidents.

The investigations have identified underlying causes that particularly deal with risk assessment, safety management, and work planning.

Cases that moved towards the investigation team phase underwent a thorough investigation by the team. As of early March of 2026, four investigations have been completed and one case is still under investigation. In the four completed investigations, the methods of injury vary from being crushed by a heavy load to falling from a significant height and a serious injury caused by an animal. Two occupational accidents claimed the lives of two experienced professionals, a farmer and a truck driver. Two incident proved fatal for two installers with less experience. All incidents occured with people involved in physical work.

A common key factor in the cases that was highlighted was shortcomings in last-minute risk assessment. Another common feature with the cases is that the risk management was not sufficiently focused on the work phases that involved significant risks, such as lifting, unloading, handling animals, or maintenance of machinery. The risks were either not identified or not applied to concrete and functional work instructions. The cases also highlight the independent decision-making of individuals and work teams during the incidents, which resulted in the instructed or planned safe work methods being adjusted at the expense of work safety.

Key common preventative measures include careful advance planning of dangerous work phases, situation-specific risk assessment, clear and practical work instructions and orientation. The TOT reports have provided incident-specific, concrete recommendations to improve work safety.

The first year of the reformed TOT investigation

TVK holds a long tradition of accident investigation, starting from 1971. By the end of 2024, TVK had investigated 955 accidents involving 1060 fatalities and dozens of additional injuries. The operations that were previously based on agreements and TVK board guidelines became a statutory duty for TVK with the legislative reform that took effect at the beginning of 2025. As a result of the reform, the investigation was extended to include farmers. The overall purpose of these activities is to improve work safety by investigating the events and causes of occurred accidents and the extent of their consequences.

The TVK TOT board that leads the TOT operations met 13 times during 2025. After the operations resumed, the board was particularly occupied with defining the guidelines and procedures to govern its operations. In accordance with the basic procedures defined in the board’s regulations and guidelines, the meetings also addressed the reported workplace fatalities and the related investigation proposals, and monitored the progress of the investigation process.

The board also developed strategies for the TOT operations. The startegy work confirmed the mission of the organisation as improving workplace safety by producing meaningful and fact-based, researched information on occurred occupational accidents and occupational diseases, as well as emerging risks, to support decision-making, learning and preparedness. The vision was defined as developing TOT into a nationally regocnised, influential, and respected occupational safety institution, whose investigations guide preventative safety efforts and support Finnish workplaces in their pursuit of a zero-injury goal. To achieve this goal, the strategy planning identified a total of seven sets of measures focused on the following areas of priority:

• Active monitoring of the operational environment, preparedness and development of operations
• Active communication
• Priority topics and criteria for the investigated cases

High-quality investigative operations require effective cooperation with different parties. Close and seamless cooperation between TVK and its partners, such as emergency services, law enforcement, and occupational safety and health authorities, is essential to the success of the investigation. As a result of the legislative reform, TVK now has extensive rights to access and process all information necessary to TOT investigations, which enables a comprehensive and thorough investigation.

The operations of the reporting procedure agreed for TOT investigation have not been entirely flawless, as preliminary data from TVK’s accident statistics indicate that in 2025, fatal workplace accidents occurred involving 11 employees and one entrepreneur who had taken out a voluntary work insurance. This means that information has not been provided in all cases in order to initiate a TOT investigation. The reporting process is particularly complicated in cases where a person injured in a workplace accident dies as a result of their injuries after a delay.

The work of the TOT investigation teams has become significantly more efficient in 2025, as evidenced by both the acceleration of investigation processes and the increased commitment of the investigation teams’ experts. This improvement has also been accelerated by the fact that expertise has been sought from external consultants. The training and expertise of the investigation teams have also been further strengthened through a systematic orientation and training programme. The average duration of a TOT investigation, from the time the case was reported to the completion of the confidential investigation report, was approximately seven months. In the vast majority of cases handled by the TOT board in 2025, decision-making proceeded smoothly, and TOT investigative activities were successfully integrated into the organisation’s standard processes.