The standards of the working environment are stipulated in the Working Environment Act that was adopted in 1977. How to achieve these goals, however, is to a large extent up to the enterprises to develop in co-operation with their employees. The Regulation relating to Systematic Health, Environment and Safety Activities in Enterprises or also called the Internal Control Regulations was adopted in 1996, but the principles were laid down already in 1991, through a provision to much the same extent. Having someone to keep a watchful eye, and take action if something goes wrong, is a pre-condition for maintaining a high standard of work and products. The idea of this regulation is that the best results are achieved by systematic improvements, not by piecemeal efforts at the last moment.
Prevention is better and cheaper than repairs.
And that while the enterprise management must accept its overall responsibility for the working environment active participation by everyone involved is important to sustain the best possible results. The employees therefore play a key role in the health, environmental and safety activities. A lot of Norwegian enterprises have come a long way in developing their systematic health, environment and safety activities. This, as I mentioned earlier, must at least in part - account for the high standard of Norwegian working environment. There is, however, still much work to be done.