Hot weather can cause serious health risks if you do not protect yourself and those close to you from the heat. Young children, elderly people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly at risk.

In recent years, Finland has had long periods of hot weather, and climate change only increases the likelihood of heatwaves. For this reason, it is important to prepare for hot weather in advance. On the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare(external link, opens in a new window), you can find information on the health effects of hot weather and how to prepare for heatwaves.

How to reduce indoor temperatures

• Keep your windows closed during the day when outdoor air is warmer than indoor air.
• Cover the windows facing the sun with light blinds or curtains to block the sunlight. If a room tends to get too hot, you can apply a sun protection film on the window, install an awning outside the window or use plants to give some shade.
• Keep your windows open during the night to let cooler air in or increase mechanical ventilation.
• If necessary, use cooling air conditioners. Keep doors and windows closed.
• Switch off lights and electrical appliances when not being used because they also increase the temperature in your home.
• You can use a fan if the indoor temperature is below 35 degrees Celsius. Fans do not cool the air, so they do more harm than good at a higher temperature. If you use a fan at a higher temperature, it will increase the heat strain on your body. The fan can also dry out your skin, so remember to drink plenty of fluids.
• Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: How to prevent heat-related health risks(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)

The operator must submit a notification of their operations to the municipal health protection authority 30 days before starting the operations. The notification obligation is based on section 13 of the Health Protection Act. Together with the notification, the operator must provide a site plan and a floor plan of the facility, a ventilation measurement report and, if necessary, a report on the quality of drinking water. A notification must also be submitted in case of significant changes to operations.

You can submit the notification online through the Ilppa system. In order to use the system, you will need a Suomi.fi authorisation from the company on whose behalf you wish to submit the notification. Click on the link below for further instructions on how to submit the notification.

Online notifications system Ilppa (in Finnish)(external link, opens in a new window)

The following facilities must submit a notification:

• Day care centres, group family day care centres and children’s clubs
• Schools and other educational institutions
• Social welfare units providing continuous care
• Beauty salons, solariums and tattoo studios (hair salons and barbershops do not need to submit a notification)
• Gyms and other sports facilities
• Hotels, camping centres and other accommodation facilities
• Public saunas
• Swimming pools and swimming pool facilities
• Beaches
• Reception centres
• Hospitals (a notification must be submitted for the purpose of monitoring the risk management of water systems in priority premises as referred to in section 19b of the Health Protection Act)
• Health centres with inpatient wards (a notification must be submitted for the purpose of monitoring the risk management of water systems in priority premises as referred to in section 19b of the Health Protection Act) 

You can find a paper version of the notification form under “Downloadable files”. Fill in the form and send it by email to terveydensuojelu@espoo.fi or by post to the address specified on the form.

Beauty salons, solariums, tattoo and piercing studios and other premises where skin treatments (e.g. cupping or hirudotherapy, i.e. leech therapy) are performed are subject to regular health protection monitoring.

When planning these facilities, the operator or planner should contact the health inspector (huoneistovalvonta@espoo.fi) at the earliest possible stage. The health inspector can give instructions and advice concerning the plans for new facilities or the modifications needed in existing facilities.

In terms of schools, important aspects to consider include proper ventilation and acoustics, appropriate spaces for cleaning equipment, the condition and cleanability of surface materials, and a sufficient number of toilets.

Schools are subject to regular monitoring. The inspections are primarily based on the Health Protection Act. If necessary, an inspection based on the Tobacco Act and/or Communicable Diseases Act can also be carried out in connection with the inspection under the Health Protection Act. 

In terms of school premises, we use a multidisciplinary approach, which means that, in addition to the health inspector and principal, for example an occupational safety representative, a school nurse or a person responsible for property maintenance may participate in the inspection if necessary.

Sports facilities include group exercise facilities, gyms and sports halls.

The facilities must be suitable for the operations in question. Aspects to consider include cleanability, ventilation, a water tap for customers, a sufficient number of sanitary facilities, cleaning equipment, laundry and storage rooms, and staff facilities.

It is the operator’s responsibility to identify any health risks related to its operations and to organise its operations in such a way that health hazards can be prevented as far as possible. For this purpose, the operator should draw up a written self-monitoring plan.

Environmental Health Services monitors the health conditions in sports facilities through inspections in line with the monitoring plan. Monitoring is subject to a fee. The aim of monitoring is to prevent health hazards and identify health hazards at an early stage.

Important things to remember

• Act quickly if you detect bed bugs.
• Ask for help from professional pest control specialists, as bed bug infestations can be difficult to get rid of.

Bed bugs

• feed on blood, which may cause skin bumps;
• do not easily transfer from person to person and do not live on humans;
• move slowly and mainly at night;
• leave behind tiny dark brown spots (bed bug poop); you may also find actual bed bugs on the bottom of a bed/armchair/sofa, under a mattress, behind pictures on the wall, or in cracks in wallpaper or skirting boards;  
• can get into or out of your home via clothes, bags, furniture, etc.

Prevention and preparedness

• If you acquire soft, difficult-to-clean furniture, clothes or other items from reuse centres, flea markets, or similar places, the first thing you should do is to treat them properly (heat treatment, freezing, washing in sufficiently high temperature).      See “How to destroy bed bugs”.
• Operators, such as accommodation providers, day care centres, etc., must have an advance plan for bed bug control as part of their self-monitoring plan and a designated person in charge of suspected bed bug infestations.

What to do if bed bugs are detected

• As a rule, the home owner/occupier is responsible for eliminating bed bugs that they have accidentally brought into the home, for example in a suitcase.
• The property owner/manager must be notified of the problem immediately.
• Building residents, customers visiting the premises, or other interested parties must be informed if bed bugs or other pests are detected (lice, pinworms).
• It is important to inform residents, customers visiting the premises, or other interested parties of the measures they must take.
• In accordance with the Health Protection Act, the property owner/manager is obliged to take appropriate control measures.
• If appropriate control measures are not taken, it is advisable to contact the health protection authority (Health Protection Act 763/1994, section 31).
• Clothes, linen, bedding, etc., should be taken for washing in a tightly sealed plastic bag.
• Furniture should be vacuumed or shaken outdoors and treated appropriately (heat treatment, freezing, washing at a sufficiently high temperature). If shaking the items outdoors is not possible, they can be shaken for example in the shower room (rinse the area with water afterwards). Floor surfaces, corners, and skirting boards should be vacuumed for any individual bugs that may have fallen. The vacuum bag must be disposed of immediately after cleaning, for example, in a tightly sealed plastic bag.

How to destroy bed bugs

• In a washing machine at 60 ºC.
• In the sauna at 55 ºC (10 hours).
• Outdoors or in a freezer at –18 ºC (2 hours).
• Heat treatment of a suitcase in the sauna: First, heat the sauna to over 55 ºC and then place the suitcase on the top bench. Open the suitcase after a few hours and leave the open bag and its contents in the sauna at 55 ºC for at least 10 hours. (Don’t forget about fire safety!)

Accommodation facilities include, for example, hotels, hostels, cottages and camping centres.

The facilities must be suitable for the operations in question. Aspects to consider include cleanability, ventilation, a sufficient number of sanitary facilities, cleaning equipment, laundry and storage rooms, and staff facilities.

It is the operator’s responsibility to identify any health risks related to its operations and to organise its operations in such a way that health hazards can be prevented as far as possible. For this purpose, the operator should draw up a written self-monitoring plan.

Environmental Health Services monitors the health conditions in accommodation facilities through inspections in line with the monitoring plan. Monitoring is subject to a fee. The aim of monitoring is to prevent health hazards and identify health hazards at an early stage.

Self-monitoring refers to knowing one’s operations and the related risks and managing these risks. Risk management allows operators to prevent health hazards. Self-monitoring under the Health Protection Act focuses on risks that could cause health hazards.

The aim of self-monitoring is to:

1. identify any risks related to the operations;
2. monitor the factors affecting the risks;
3. prevent health hazards.

Based on the Health Protection Act, self-monitoring is required for activities subject to notification obligation. It is the operator’s responsibility to identify any health risks related to its operations and to organise its operations in such a way that health hazards can be prevented as far as possible.

It is recommended that operators draw up a written self-monitoring plan that is available to and usable by all as operations are maintained and developed. A written self-monitoring plan is also a good tool for staff training.

A self-monitoring plan describes the operations, the related risks and ways to prevent risks. The recording of notifications and measures related to health conditions and the storage of documents are part of self-monitoring.

When planning day care or club premises, you should, at an early stage, contact the health inspector and other authorities, such as social services, the Building Control Department (new use for premises) as well as authorities responsible for occupational and fire safety.

The premises must be suitable for day care and club activities. Aspects to consider include the location of the premises, the need for space, ventilation, a sufficient number of sanitary facilities, cleaning equipment and laundry rooms, and staff facilities. Significant changes in operations refer, for example, to a remarkable increase in the number of children, a renovation of the facilities or using a previously occupied space.

It is the operator’s responsibility to identify any health risks related to its operations and to organise its operations in such a way that health hazards can be prevented as far as possible. For this purpose, the operator should draw up a written self-monitoring plan.

Environmental Health Services monitors the health conditions in day care and club facilities through inspections in line with the monitoring plan. Monitoring is subject to a fee. The aim of monitoring is to prevent health hazards and identify health hazards at an early stage.

Social welfare units that provide continuous care include sheltered housing units with 24-hour assistance for the elderly, people with disabilities and other special groups, institutional services such as units offering individualised rehabilitation, care and treatment (e.g. units for people with intellectual disabilities and units for clients with mental health and substance abuse problems), mother-and-child homes and shelters, children’s and youth homes, and reform schools.

Housing units where the apartments are similar to normal apartments (e.g. studios or one-bedroom apartments with their own bathrooms and cooking areas) and where the residents can freely choose their services are not subject to a notification obligation or monitoring (sheltered and supported housing).

However, the requirements concerning each facility must be discussed in detail with the health inspector (huoneistovalvonta@espoo.fi) during the planning stage.