Activity profiles of the occupational health services in a multinational company

The management of the European division of a multinational company was awar e of possible differences in the occupational health services (OHS) at thei r different locations. The objective of this study was to carry out a basel ine assessment of these OHS. Structured interviews with representatives of the OHS were conducted at 20 locations in 11 countries. The OHS Recommendat ion from the International Labour Organization (ILO) was used as a standard for the organization and functions of the OHS. Considerable differences in the activity profiles of the OHS were detected. The inter-enterprise, mult idisciplinary OHS spent most of their time on surveillance of workers' heal th in relation to work and on preventive activities in the working environm ent. Little time was spent on curative services for individual workers. OHS made up of individual physicians and nurses generally spent much of their time on treatment of occupational and non-occupational diseases. This study has clarified the status of the OHS providers and the potential for improv ements in order to meet the needs of the company's locations and to comply more closely with the ILO recommendation.