Other

‍The "other accidents" investigative branch investigates (a non-exhaustive list) some of the most serious collapses, fires, explosions and traffic accidents that are not within the scope of any other investigative branch. There are no international requirements, conventions or instructions governing the "other accidents" investigative branch, and therefore making the decision to investigate and carrying out the investigation is based solely on national legislation.

The decision to initiate an investigation is made by SIAF. Different factors such as whether another authority already investigates the accident are taken into account while making this decision. The decision is affected by factors such as whether another party is investigating the accident. For example, most of the road traffic accidents are investigated by the Finnish Crash Data Institute (OTI) (www.oti.fi), which means that an investigation by SIAF is not needed.
The most important criterion for initiating an investigation is whether investigating the case is expected to provide new information on how to improve public safety. The severity of the accident also affects the decision. Incidents that meet the criteria of a major accident are always investigated.

SIAF can conduct a joint investigation of several similar accidents or incidents. These investigations are called themed investigations or safety studies. Themed investigations can be carried out by all investigative branches.