Norway's occupational health service: supporting occupational safety and health compliance (Case NO5)

The Working Environment Act (WEA) in Norway, requires certain industries to have an occupational health service (OHS). The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority checks whether businesses comply with this and if the OHS is used as intended.

This case study reveals great variance in how businesses and OHSs cooperate on matters related to occupational safety and health (OSH). Recent changes to the WEA turn the focus from personal healthcare to ensuring businesses are assisted in their systematic work with OSH. A positive outcome is that businesses must now make use of OHSs for risk evaluations.