"In 1992, Norway introduced a regulation requiring all organisations to implement systematic action to ensure and document OHS control, in accordance with the requirements of Norwegian OHS law. The key elements of the Norwegian model are: preparation; delegation of responsibilities, systematic identification of OHS problems; prioritising; action planning; implementation; evaluation and continuous improvement. This article reports on the third in a series of studies undertaken at intervals since the introduction of the Norwegian regulation, to report on progress with implementation. Based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected, representative sample, 47% of Norwegian organisations fulfilled the requirements of the regulations in 1999. This compares with an implementation rate of 8% and 42% in 1993 and 1996 respectively. As at 1999, a further 39% were implementing the law. Organisations implementing OHSM included large, medium and some smaller firms, although micro-businesses were less likely to have implemented the regulation. The authors attribute some of the success of the Norwegian approach to the fact that the OHS authorities have continuously supported this regulation for a decade and will continue to do so, with only minor refinements in response to workplace requirements."

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