OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE IN NORWAY

A short review is presented on the field of occupational health services (OHSs) and occupational medicine in Norway, with due attention to their history. The current Work Environment Act of 1977 requires management in various industries and enterprises to establish and finance OHSs to obtain advice on matters relating to the work environment. The advisory role of the OHSs, with a focus on prevention, has not yet been adequately implemented. A brief report is given on the current status of occupational health, institutions, teaching in medical faculties, and research activities. As work-related and environmental exposures interact in the causation of diseases, integration of the preventive activities within occupational and environmental medicine is foreseen.