1. National report SIHLWA 7. – 10 okt
Trygve Eklund (National Institute of Occupational health) Truls Johannessen (Labour inspection):
Theme that we will present as our national report:
Information regarding expansion of occupational health service regulation
White Paper on Occupational health and Safety
Stronger economy of occupational medicine clinics
The National Surveillance of Working Environment. (NOA)
Database on Chemistry / Expo

2. The Authorized Norwegian OHS organization -
All enterprises in many Norwegian industrial sectors are legally required to hire an OHS-organization to advise them on matters concerning work environment.
Knowing that advise from the OHS-organization will only be utilized in the enterprise if – and only if - the co-operation between enterprise and the OHS-organization is good,
Norway has implemented a regulation specifies legally on how an enterprise should should utilize an OHS-organization.
This regulation – also acknowledges the importance of the competence of the OHS, but only stated that the enterprise itself should check that the OHS-organisation it hired had sufficient competence.
This was a mistake and did not work. Thus …..

3. The Authorized Norwegian OHS- organization
The regualtion was amended 9th, September 2009.
All the old obligations for the enterprises concerning
management's total responsibility for the work environment conditions in the enterprise,
how to co-operate with the OHS-organization to get advice on these matters are as before – but now
The national authorities have now legally taken over the responsibility for assuring the competence of the OHS-organizations from
OHS-organization wanting to provide service to the enterprises – must be pre-authorized concerning its competence.
The task of setting up such scheme for authorization of the OHS-has been given to the Labour Inspection.

4. The Authorized Norwegian OHS- organization
With some inspiration from the previous Danish authorization system we are trying to establish some level of minimum requieriments of competence –
from where the OHS-organization will be obliged to improve its competence during the next 5 years before reauthorization
The idea is ”continuous improvement”

5. The Authorized Norwegian OHS- organization
The OHS will be checked for competence in the 5 critical fields where the enterprises need support.
Occupational medicine and Occupational health
Occupational hygiene
Ergonomics
Organizational and psycho-social work environment issues.
Organization and activity for systematic health-, safety- and work environment improvements in the enterprise
In addition there must be a certain capacity in the OHS-organization. We aim for 3 working-years ( 3 full time positions), or more, of professional personnel.

6. The Authorized Norwegian OHS-organization
The OHS- must apply to the Labour Inspection to be authorized from
We are establishing criteria for the information we need from the OHS-organizations in order to provide a valid evaluation. These criteria are built up partly in discussion with the OHS-organizations themselves.
We plan to get the information electronically, building up a database for our unit which will process the applications.
We are expecting +/- 400 applications. Of which we hope 80 % will be easy to handle – while we are expecting that 80 % of our work capacity will be required in processing the last 20% of the OHS-organisations.
In the years to come members of the authorization unit will also travel to do – on the premises – follow up of the status of the competence of the OHS.

7. The Authorized Norwegian OHS-organization
Challenges:.
How to get enough valid information for an evaluation – and nothing more – on order not to drown in information
How within a single scheme to handle the diverse set-ups of the Norwegian OHS-organizations. Stretching from the local tightly knitt OHS-organization – to the large OHS-”firm” (330 persons) with offices literally all around Norway – and many other OHS-organizations in-between.
How to get the authorization system – even if much wanted by the OHS-organizations themselves – to be accepted by them as a fair and legitimate system.
We are looking at and beyond with excitement

8. White paper (Report) on occupational health and safety
Truls Johannessen oktober 2009

9. Three future actions regarding occupational health
The Norwegian government will implement three future actions regarding occupational health :
A law proposition concerning changes in the Working Environment Act by spring 2009
A review of co-determination arrangements, the workers participating in management employee participation.
A comprehensive report given to the Norwegian Parliament Stortinget (St.meld) about the nation’s labour environment (occupational health) and safety, due in 2010

10. White paper (Stortingsmelding) on working conditions and occupational health and safety of the Norwegian labour area 2010
The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion has requested The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, The Petroleum Safety Authority in Norway and The National Surveillance of Working Environment. (NOA) to contribute to this white paper by:
Giving a broad presentation of the conditions in the Norwegian workplace environment
Describing key trends and identifying causal relationships and correlations
Discussing and evaluating the HSE activity in Norwegian enterprises/undertakings
Describing and evaluating the supervisory authorities total activity; audit strategy, reactive measures, instruments, the collaboration between the employers’ organizations and labour organizations and the other supervisory authorities
Presenting / suggesting prospective measures and means

11. continuation…
It is the first time The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority participates in such work, the agency will produce specific chapters and propose central themes for the White Paper.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority expects that the white paper (St.meld) will lay the foundation for a broad discussion on the norms of the future Norwegian working life, and which measures are necessary in order to ensure them.
A ”Committee” for The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (social partners) is a central cooperative discussion forum in this process. They will also give input to themes of the White Paper.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s delivery is due before the 31rst of december,09