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The Committee notes the Government's report, the information provided to its previous requests, as well as the annual report for 1997 of the occupational safety and health administration. It also notes the observations included in the Government's report by the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (TT), the Employers' Confederation of Service Industries (LTK) and the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).

Articles 5, 10 and 16. Collaboration in respect of inspection; number of labour inspectors; frequency of inspection visits. The Committee notes the Government's indication that apart from the exception of the 1997 inspection of the driving times and rest periods in road transport, no exact quantitative targets have been set, attention principally being focused on the quality of the activities of the labour inspection. The number of inspections is, however, being monitored, and feedback submitted to the occupational health and safety inspectorates, if necessary. The Committee notes the comments by SAK that the quality and quantity of labour inspections have to be guaranteed, given the growing number of small-scale workplaces. The SAC also emphasizes the necessity of increasing inspection in the metal and building trades, and in commerce. As concerns the chemical sector, the legislation is not sufficiently known and action programmes for occupational safety complying with the Labour Protection Act are still unusual; cooperation between the trade unions and the labour inspectorate is however progressing.

The Committee also notes the indication by TT and LTK that accident frequency has remained stable despite the economic recovery. The working method based on consultation established by the administration may have contributed to this trend.

The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to provide information on quantitative and qualitative developments of the labour inspection.

Article 8. Men and women inspectors. The Committee notes the distribution of different functions in the labour inspectorate between women and men. Noting that out of 11 managers none is a woman, the Committee hopes that the Government will provide information on any progress made by women in occupying managerial positions.