It is important to analyze whether there is a connection between an illness and the work activities or the conditions in that work environment, so that the nature of the work can be established as the root cause of the illness in question. In this way, other employees can be protected against that illness or disease.
Occupational illness refers to an illness caused by work activities or conditions in the work environment.
Workplace-related illnesses refers to an illness or medical condition that occurs, worsens or is prolonged due to work activities or conditions in the work environment, but is not considered to be caused directly by work or conditions in the work environment.
The Icelandic Health Insurance has the role of assessing whether a disease listed in Annex I to the Regulation on occupational diseases was caused by work or conditions in the work environment.
Examples of occupational diseases are hearing loss caused by noise pollution in the workplace, respiratory diseases, skin diseases and diseases related to asbestos pollution.
Employees Report Occupational Illnesses or Workplace-Related Illnesses
Staff who consider themselves to be suffering from an occupational disease or a workplace-related illness must notify the employer and consult a doctor. It is important to inform the employer as soon as possible when symptoms appear in order to give them the opportunity to take measures necessary to prevent potential risk factors.
The Employer Keeps a Record of Occupational Illnesses and Incidents That Can Cause Damage to Health
The employer must keep a record of the illnesses that they have reason to suspect, or know, are rooted in specific work being done or other conditions in the workplace. They must also record incidents that could cause damage to health, such as chemical pollution that can have a detrimental effect on human health.
Risk assessment and prevention can prevent occupational illnesses and workplace-related illnesses. When an employee’s illness is suspected to be related to the work environment, it is important that the employer responds by identifying possible causes and takes the necessary precautions to prevent further spread of the illness within the employee group.
A Physician Reports an Alleged Occupational Illness
A physician who discovers or suspects that an employee or group of employees has/have an occupational disease, a workplace-related illness or has/have suffered other harmful effects as a result of their work, shall without undue delay report it to the AOSH. These reports are independent of whether the occupational disease or the workplace-related illness is considered compensable.
Physicians shall, in the diagnosis and reporting of occupational diseases and workplace-related illnesses, maintain procedures in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on the reporting and registration of occupational diseases.
Although diseases are not on the list of occupational diseases that must be reported, it is still important to report them if there is a suspicion of a causal relationship with work.
Notifications can be submitted through the Saga system. The electronic form number is 225.
The AOSH Keeps a Registry of Occupational Illnesses and Workplace-Related Illnesses
The Administration of Occupational Safety and Health maintains a register of recognized occupational diseases. The purpose is to assess the incidence and spread of such diseases in individual occupations, as well as their development. The emphasis is always on prevention so that repeated occupational diseases can be prevented in the workplace and within individual occupations.
The Icelandic Health Insurance sends copies of notifications of occupational diseases in the workplace to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Occupational illnesses that must be reported
The Occupational Diseases Regulation deals with the causal relationship between a disease and the working environment and also contains a list of diseases that can be considered occupational diseases when the Icelandic Health Insurance assesses that they were caused by work or the working environment.
Here are also guidelines from the European Union on criteria for diagnosing occupational diseases.
Service provider
Administration of Occupational Safety and Health