The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
- Organisation and Contact Information
- Laws and Regulations
- Overall Objective and Strategies
- Occupational Safety and Health - Information in English
Organisation
The Labour Inspection Authority has ca 500 employees and consists of a central office - the Directorate, 7 regional offices and 16 local offices throughout the country. The Directorate in Trondheim regulates the agency's overall strategy, programmes and information. The district offices guide and supervise individual enterprises in local communities.
Contact Information
Contact the Directorate at:
Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, Arbeidstilsynet
Statens hus,
N- 7468 Trondheim
Norway
Telephone: (+47) 73 19 97 00
Fax: (+47) 73 19 97 01
E-mail: direktoratet@arbeidstilsynet.no
Laws and Regulations
Laws and regulations are the foundation of all the Labour Inspection Authority's activities. We have administrative, supervisory and information responsibilities in connection with the following acts:
- The Working Environment Act
- The Annual Holidays Act
- The National Holidays Act
- Certain Sections of The Smoking Act
The Working Environment Act
The Working Environment Act applies to all land based operations with employees.
The employer is responsible for complying with the requirements of the act, and for ensuring that the enterprise maintains a healthy and safe working environment. These responsibilities are explained and reinforced by the regulations relating to internal control.
The Act can be downloaded in pdf from the column to the right.
Systematic Health, Environmental and Safety Activities in Enterprises - Internal Control Regulations
These regulations require enterprises to have written objectives in relation to health, environment and safety activities. Roles and responsibilities regarding health and safety issues must be clarified. Risk analysis and assessment must be carried out, and plans of action made and carried out according to assessments.
The person responsible for the enterprise must ensure that internal control is introduced and performed in the enterprise and that this is done in collaboration with the employees and their representatives.
The Internal Control Regulations (including comments) are available via the link below. Please note that there have been made minor changes in these regulations after the translation was made.
These and other translated regulations can be downloaded in pdf from the column to the right.
Consequences of Violating The Working Environment Act
In dealing with enterprises that do not comply with the requirements of The Working Environment Act, the Labour Inspection Authority may respond with:
- Orders
When statues and regulations are violated, the agency may give the enterprise an order to correct the situation within a given time limit. This is done in writing, and the recipent has the opportunity to lodge an appeal. - Coercive Fines
If the order is not complied with, coercive fines may be imposed. The size of the fine is dependent upon several factors, but the main rule is that it shall be unprofitable to violate the Working Environment Act. - Shutdown of Operations
An enterprise may be shut down with immediate effect if the life and health of it's employees are in imminent danger. Shutdowns may also be imposed when enterprises fail to comply with orders given. - Police
The Agency may report enterprises to the police for serious breaches of the act. A serious violation can result in fines, or, int the worst case, imprisonment.
Objectives and Strategies
The agency's overall objective is a healthy working environment for all, safe and secure employment conditions and meaningful work for the individual.
The Labour Inspection Authority encourages enterprises to work systematically towards compliance with the working environment laws and regulations.
Supervision
The Labour Inspection Authority oversees that enterprises comply with the requirements of The Working Environment Act. Supervision will mainly be aimed at enterprises with the poorest working conditions, where there is little willingness to correct problems and where the agency's efforts will have the greatest effect. This is done by:
- Internal Control Audits
Reviews of enterprises' internal control systems to reveal weather regulations and procedures are being followed. An audit can take place over several days. - Verifications / Inspections
Intermittent tests are used to check whether internal control systems function well and that companies meet legal requirements. - Investigating Accidents
All serious and life threatening accidents are investigated by the Labour Inspection Authority
Guidance and Information
In addition to providing advice and guidance according til The Public Administration Act, the agency publishes a large amount of guidelines and brochures, the periodical Arbeidervern and participates in several Internet sites. The agency also prepares information material in connection with campaigns and other projects.
Campaigns and Projects
Since 1991, the Labour Inspection Authority has been working systematically with industries struggling with major working environment problems. There have been campaigns in a number of sectors, including the health sector, hotels and resturants, construction, transport, agriculture and the police.
The purpose of these campaigns has been to motivate individual enterprises to focus upon their own working environment and make improvements through internal control routines.
Single day campaigns with mass inspections and broad media coverage are carried out several times each year. They are usually focused on a single issue, like the existence of written contracts of employment, proper labelling of chemicals etc.
Occupational Safety and Health - Publications and Other Information in English
Some of the agency's information is available in English:
www.arbeidsplassen.no
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority coordinates partnership with The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, which includes responsibility for gathering and communication of data from The Norwegian Network for The Working Environment. This information is published on the website www.arbeidsplassen.no, a portion of which is in English.
Posted abroad?
For information on which regulations are applicable to foreign employees who are posted to Norway and Norwegian employees who are posted abroad - click on the link below.
Hiring in employees?
An English version of our information regarding the hiring in of employees can be found on the website of the Norwegian Petroleum Direcorate
Information for work migrants
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration maintains a site in English about rights, opportunities and obligations in Norway for foreingers issued with a work permit. It should answer the most important questions that migrant workers have about living in Norway.
- The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration: Ny i Norge - Information for work migrants.
Publications in English
A few of our publications are in English. Those available in pdf are listed in the column to the right. For a full listing, please look to the alfabet to the left on this page. Choose E for Engelsk materiale (English material)