Data protection
The Safety Investigation Authority, Finland processes personal data to carry out its statutory duties. Processing of the data is primarily based on the legislation on accident and incident investigations and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679).
The Government ICT Centre Valtori and its subcontractors provide the Safety Investigation Authority with the required information system services.
We process personal data of the individuals involved in accidents for the following purposes:
- accident and incident investigation
- preparation of investigation reports
We process personal data of the experts carrying out safety investigations for the following purposes:
- maintaining the readiness to quickly initiate an investigation
- training individuals suited to the role of investigators
- paying the remunerations of the members of the investigation teams.
We process the following personal data of the individuals involved in the investigations:
- contact details
- health information
- photos
- recordings of interviews
The processing is based on Article 6(1)(c) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation and national legislation, such as sections 11, 13, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28 and 45 of the Safety Investigation Act (525/2011).
Rights of the data subject
The data subject has the right to
- be informed on the processing of their personal data
- check the data concerning them
- request the rectification or erasure of the data
- restrict or object to the processing in specific situations.
Please note that in some cases, legislation may restrict these rights, especially when the retention of data is necessary for the fulfilment of statutory obligations.
Disclosure and storage of data
The details of the individuals involved in the accidents are processed by the Safety Investigation Authority as confidential information. Details of a confidential official document may only be disclosed if there are specific provisions on that in the law.
Provisions on the disclosure of confidential information are contained in section 39 of the Safety Investigation Act. Under this section,
the Safety Investigation Authority may, notwithstanding secrecy provisions, disclose information received in the course of a safety investigation to other persons conducting a safety investigation according to law if this is essential for the conduct of the investigation, and to the authorities for another purpose if this is essential in order to safeguard an important public interest.
Notwithstanding what is said above and notwithstanding secrecy provisions, the Safety Investigation Authority may disclose information obtained in the safety investigation to criminal investigation and prosecution authorities only if the information is essential for the investigation of an offence for which the maximum sentence provided in the law is imprisonment for at least two years. However, the Safety Investigation Authority may not disclose to criminal investigation or to prosecution authorities information referred to in section 21, or information that to an essential extent has been received from a person who is obliged or entitled to refuse to testify in a criminal investigation or in court proceedings on such a circumstance, unless the person who is entitled to refuse to testify consents to the disclosure.
An authority that has received information on the basis of section 39(1) of the Safety Investigation Act may not undertake legal action on the basis of a negligent violation of which it has been informed only on the basis of the information that it has received from the Safety Investigation Authority.
The Safety Investigation Authority may not transmit confidential information that has been received from an authority of another state that is responsible for a safety investigation, or confidential information that has been received in a safety investigation conducted in another state, in violation of the conditions imposed when the information was received.
The Safety Investigation Authority processes personal data of the experts carrying out safety investigations for the payment of remunerations and travel expenses as a joint controller with the Finnish Government Shared Services Centre for Finance and HR (Palkeet). Palkeet provides data protection information on ePalkkio and matka service on its website https://palkeet.fi/en/our-contact-information/data-protection/Avautuu uuteen välilehteen. The remunerations and compensations paid to individuals are reported to the Incomes Register after each payment.
We retain personal data only as long as it is necessary for the purposes of the processing and in accordance with the statutory storage periods.
Sending confidential and sensitive documents to the Safety Investigation Authority, Finland
We recommend that confidential and sensitive documents be submitted to the Safety Investigation Authority, Finland by secure email. The service can be found at https://turvaviesti.om.fi/Avautuu uuteen välilehteen and you can use it free of charge.
When you send a secure email message to the official address of the Safety Investigation Authority, the heading, content and attachments of the message must include the necessary identification information so that the agency’s personnel can forward the message to the right person, and know what the email concerns and who has sent it.
Contact information
If you have questions about the processing of your personal data or wish to exercise your rights, please contact
Controller
Safety Investigation Authority, Finland
Postal address: Ratapihantie 9, 00520 Helsinki, Finland
Email: [email protected]
Tel. +358 2956 66870
Data protection officer
Ilkka Kervinen
Email: [email protected]
Published 11.8.2025