Probe body recommends safety improvement after conscript injured

The Security Investigation Team of the Finnish Defence Forces has decided to issue recommendations to improve safety following an accident during a military exercise in April last year, said the Defence Forces in a press release on Wednesday.

The team made a set of recommendations after completion of the investigation into the accident involving an all-terrain truck took place in Pori Brigade on 16 April 2025 in which a conscript serving in the brigade was seriously injured.

The team recommended a measure to obligate the driver of a heavy vehicle to always conduct a walk around the vehicle to check its surroundings right before taking off.

Another measure recommended to be included in soldiers’ basic training involves how to conduct oneself in the vicinity of vehicles.

The recommendations are currently being prepared to be introduced in the Defence Forces possibly starting from the July 2026 contingent.

The safety investigation examined the course of events, reasons and consequences as well as the rescue and emergency care measures taken.

“The objective of safety investigation in the Defence Forces is to examine the root causes of accidents and work out safety recommendations on their basis so that similar accidents could be prevented in the future,” said Occupational and In-Service Safety Officer, Commander Eki Lamminmäki.

The accident occurred when Pori Brigade conscripts had been in a military field exercise between 14 - 16 April 2025.

They had returned to the Säkylä Garrison on 16 April in the afternoon. Units and sections had started maintaining their equipment in the barracks backyard and the vicinity according to the weekly schedule.

While dismantling of the exercise and maintenance of equipment were going on, one conscript, who had been in the exercise and was participating in maintaining a camouflage net, got run over in the barracks backyard by an all-terrain truck that had been used in the exercise. He was severely injured.

The injured conscript was immediately given first aid by those present. A specialist in anesthesiology and intensive care from the Centre for Military Medicine was called quickly to the accident site. The injured conscript was taken to hospital for further care by a civilian emergency care unit assisted by an FinnHEMS medical helicopter emergency care physician.

The accident took place when the all-terrain truck had started moving and made a steep right turn. In the area on the right-hand side of the driver’s compartment, two conscripts were busy conducting maintenance of a camouflage net, and one of them got run over by the turning all-terrain truck’s rear wheels.

The blind spots limiting the driver’s visibility were a key factor contributing to the accident. Partly due to this, the driver had failed to notice all of the obstacles around the vehicle before taking off.

Another factor contributing to the accident was the fact that the conscripts working with the camouflage net were in the truck’s blind spot and unaware of the risks involved.

The personnel involved in giving first aid acted logically and consistently in the situation and the rescue measures were well performed. Psychosocial support was immediately provided to those involved in the accident.

Pori Brigade conducted an occupational and in-service safety investigation of the matter on 22 April 2025. The Safety Investigation Authority conducted a preliminary investigation of the accident immediately after it had taken place and released it on 18 June 2025. Both investigations were referred to in the Defence Forces’ safety investigation.