Our organisation has four Departments: Product and Installations Surveillance, Industrial Plants Surveillance, Chemical Products Surveillance, and R&D and Support Services. Our permanent staff numbers slightly over 200 people. The main offices are in Helsinki, Tampere and Rovaniemi.
The Product and Installations Surveillance Department supervises the safety of products and the technical reliability by means of surveillance visits to retailers, importers and manufacturers. Among the surveillance objects are electrical equipment, articles of precious metals, construction products, and rescue service equipment – as any product placed on the market must comply with the relevant requirements. Tukes also monitors the reliability of scales, fuel meters and liquid dispensers, as well as the measuring instruments used at outdoor markets. In addition, we watch the electromagnetic disturbances and the energy efficiency labelling of certain items as provided by law. We also supervise works carried out on electrical installations, including the use and inspection of them, as well as contracting and servicing related to elevators.
The Industrial Plants Surveillance Department attends to the surveillance of the safety of industrial plants and installations, contracting and installation business and inspection services. We also act as the permit consideration and surveillance authority for mining. The surveillance objects include e.g. plants and storages dealing with dangerous goods, plants processing LPG or natural gas, explosives factories and storages, and power plants and factories using pressurised systems as well as gas appliances, pressure equipment, explosives and fireworks, transport packaging and containers for dangerous goods. We also grant official approvals of testing bodies, inspectors and personnel certification bodies.
The Chemical Products Surveillance Department attends to the enforcement tasks within chemical products surveillance, the REACH and CLP Regulations, biocides legislation, and the risk assessment, approvals and registration of plant protection products.
The R&D and Support Services Department provides the necessary administrative services, participates in development of the legislation and working methods, and produces information services. Much of the information and experiences retrieved from surveillance and R&D is forwarded to our interest groups. The Department staff also take care of an active communication and training policy, aiming strongly at achieving our surveillance objectives, in particular as to prevention of accidents.