The review below is a summary of the Annual Report 2000.
Review of the director general
Jorma Rantanen, Director General
Promotion of work ability, a Finnish innovation
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health started research on ageing workers at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. This activity was inspired by the observation in numerous studies that workers in several occupational groups suffered from unreasonable physical load at work. At the same time shift work was found to be a stress factor, especially among ageing workers. A major research program among municipal workers was launched at the beginning of the 1980s in collaboration with the Municipal Pension Fund. The study revealed that ageing workers encounter many problems in their work, making the work heavier, more difficult, and more loading. This may be one aspect in the person's decision to retire prematurely. These features were found in both physical, psychological and social characteristics of work.
The study by Professor Juhani Ilmarinen and co-workers identified the most central factors that lower the employees' work ability. These were, among others, poor working conditions, high physical workload, accident risk, poor organization of work and therefore increased psychological workload, and a poor working culture and social atmosphere at the workplace. On the other hand, other factors were found to encourage the workers to stay on at work and to promote their work ability. These were, in addition to good ergonomics, the support provided by the supervisor, and also regular and sufficient physical activities for ageing persons.
The study on ageing workers in the municipal sector was a significant project in other respects as well. In connection to this study, also a new instrument, i.e. the Work Ability Index (WAI) was developed. It became a good practical indicator of work ability. With the help of the WAI it is possible to measure the current status of a person's work ability. It is also a good indicator for assessing the person's future work ability. WAI has been taken into use in Finland and in ten other countries as well.
The follow-up study of the 'Ageing workers in the municipal sector' continues for the 20th year. It has produced a unique data base and gives a longitudinal perspective on ageing and work.
When the arrangements concerning individual early retirement were taken into use in Finland in 1986, this possibility attracted more aging people to retire than any experts would have expected. The late 1980s were a period of rapid economic growth, and soon there was a shortage of workforce. In the autumn of 1989 the key social partners made a collective agreement that was annexed with a recommendation for the maintenance and promotion of work ability (MWA). The contents of the agreement were largely based on the research on the work ability of ageing workers, carried out in the 1980s at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH). The recommendation aimed at the maintenance and promotion of the work ability of ageing workers, so that early retirement would not be the only attractive alternative in a situation where the demands of the work and the individual's work ability do not match.
Activities to promote work ability have penetrated to the workplace level relatively slowly. This is due to the fact that practical and feasible methods for MWA had not yet been developed when the agreement came into force. The FIOH has invested a lot of working time and has focused its research efforts throughout the 1990s, in collaboration with several partners, to develop practical methods for the maintenance and promotion of work ability at the workplace level. A new, so-called 'triangle strategy', aimed at the development of a comprehensive promotional approach for MWA. Several intervention studies had proved that, if developed simultaneously, promoting the health of the workers, together with improvements in their work environment, as well as in the organization of their work, gave the most positive results in improved work ability.
The impact of the activities to maintain and promote work ability has been surveyed and evaluated. A work ability barometer study in 1998 showed that MWA activities have been taken into use in Finnish work life surprisingly widely. About 80% of the workers in Finland had encountered some forms of MWA activities at their workplace. When evaluating the impact, 80–85% of the workers and employers had found these activities beneficial to health, work ability and the work atmosphere. During the economic recession in the early 1990s, it was noted that, in addition to the health benefits, the maintenance of the workers' work ability was justified also economically. The earliest economic analyses were carried out by Professor Guy Ahonen and his co-workers at FIOH, and the results were unexpectedly positive. The cost-benefit ratio of MWA activity was shown to be economically highly profitable. About half of the benefits came from reduced sick leaves and premature pension costs, and the other half from the increase in productivity. Several cost-benefit ratio analyses carried out later indicated that in most cases the economic investment into MWA activities was worthwhile, and in some cases gave a many-fold benefit compared to the costs.
The maintenance and promotion of work ability has also been in many other ways a remarkable social innovation. It has provided a stimulus to developing the content of occupational health services (OHS). Consequently, the content of occupational health services has become much more versatile and comprehensive. The MWA ideology has also led to more development-oriented activities at workplaces, or at least it has provided a natural basis for the development activities at the level of the workplace and enterprise. By directing special attention to the work ability and working conditions of ageing workers and disabled people, the MWA activities have also helped to promote equality in work life.
MWA has been a welcomed stimulus to occupational health service and occupational safety personnel in the development of their own expertise areas. In the 1990s, training in MWA practices was very popular among persons involved in the development of work life, including occupational health service personnel. Among others, all occupational health service professionals in Finland (about 3,000 persons) attended a training programme on MWA in 1997–1998.
The MWA approach has included also an element on the development of the work and its organization. This has provided a natural opportunity for occupational health personnel to discuss with the enterprises their needs and opportunities for occupational health services. This has been of utmost importance for the improvement of services and working conditions in small enterprises.
The organization of occupational health services for small enterprises has for long been problematic in Finland, as also elsewhere. Almost everything has been tried in this domain, but the problems have not yet been solved. In 1995 the FIOH launched a Small Workplace Program with 14 separate projects. Its aim was to intensify the improvement of working conditions in small enterprises, including an emphasis on MWA. In almost all smaller projects during the 1990s, the MWA has been one of the main elements. Positive results have been obtained from the Action Program and also from the individual smaller projects.
Maintenance of work ability in the government administration
When the social partners made their recommendation for the maintenance of the workers' work ability more than ten years ago, the practical implementation of MWA had to be solved in the various organizations. In government administration, MWA brought up new ways of thinking. The Advisory Board on Occupational Health Services took MWA as a starting point for all its activities in the 1990s. MWA can therefore be seen in the numerous amendments and regulations on OHS passed in the 1990s, and particularly in the Decree of the Council of State in 1994. The tripartite Advisory Board on Occupational Health Services defined the concept of MWA; this led to a consensus on the contents of MWA. The national seminars organized as a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Social Insurance Institute and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health determined the content, forms and goals for the MWA activities. The seminars have also been a forum for exchanging information and for following up activities carried out at the workplace level.
Also the occupational safety and health (OS&H) authorities took MWA as one of their strategic priorities in the 1990s. Development-oriented activities were given more emphasis, while control and inspection activities focused mostly on the most risky industries. Towards the end of the decade, MWA was a central part of the strategies of occupational safety and health authorities.
The total costs of MWA activities are not well known, because MWA is mostly carried out as an integrated part of organization development activities. The compensation system of the Social Insurance Institution keeps careful record of the costs of occupational health services, both nationally and according to the employers' reimbursement applications. In spite of the considerable widening of the MWA activities in the 1990s, the costs of occupational health services have remained under control. There has been a slight increase in the total cost of reimbursements, and also in the total cost of services, but the increase corresponds well to the improvement in the contents and volume of occupational health services. We can thus say that MWA has been a unique innovation in the field of social and health policy. It has proven to be positive as to its cost-benefit ratio at the enterprise level, nor has it increased the cost of services at the national level.
Future perspectives
In addition to the positive features described above, MWA also presents some problems. The understanding of the nature and content of the MWA activity varies greatly from one workplace to another, also depending on the actor and the branch of industry. In some cases, the MWA activity has been only the enhancement of physical fitness, in some others it has focused mainly on psychological well-being, and even some business ideas have been created to produce some detached piece of the MWA, without paying much attention to a comperehensive approach in the development of work ability, of the workplace, and of the work itself. These features have aroused criticism in various circles. The criticism has pointed out that separate fragmented measures only seldom produce the expected effects that actually manifest as improved work ability. Therefore, the dissemination of knowledge and training in good MWA practices is still very important in the future.
Another major course for criticism has been the fact that, in spite of the great volume of the activity, the economic and professional input invested in it, and the positive cost-benefit ratio at the enterprise level, the overall impact of MWA has not been demonstrated. Studies have not been able to show an increase in the participation rate of the labour force, nor an increase in the average retirement age, nor better coping with work. For example, in the Netherlands measures that aim at similar goals but which have been implemented in a very different way have led to a visible impact at the systems level. The Dutch model has developed service provision, the organization and resources of occupational health services with the help of legislation and administration, adding to this the economic responsibility of the employer in the financing of social security. At the same time, the solutions in Finland have focused on the development of the content and efficiency of occupational health services. It seems that the Dutch model creates an impact more rapidly than the service-oriented Finnish model. In the Netherlands, the reasons behind the need for legislative reforms and the problems related to work ability differed from those in Finland. Roughly, one could say that in the Netherlands there was a need to affect the behaviour of the enterprises and citizens on the labour market, whereas in Finland the measures taken aimed at improving the psychological and physical work ability of the workers, and the social capital of the enterprises. It is possible, however, that these very different approaches and reforms will eventually lead to similar end results.
There is strong pressure for change in the work life also in the 21st century. The rapid ageing of the work force continues, and Finland is a forerunner in the ageing process. Work life is threatened by a shortage of work force after the year 2005. This trend calls for increased attention to the work ability of the work force. We need to support ageing workers to be able to continue working until the normal retirement age. We also need to mobilize young people into work life as actively as possible. Nor can we ignore the work ability issues of the middle-aged. This requires sustainable development of work life and of the work ability of the population.
Sustainable development can only be brought about with real development in work ability, health, organization of work, and the work environment, as well as in the development of knowledge and professional skills of people. These are needed both at the individual and the enterprise levels. It is probable that this cannot be achieved without developing MWA genuinely on a long-term basis. Such development will improve the resources of individuals, and also the ability of the enterprise to utilize the employees' capacities. Real impact can be achieved only gradually. The work ability of a person is not lost – except in occupational accidents – in one day, and therefore it also takes time to build up work ability, which is result of a long-term learning and development process. Thus it is not astonishing that only 8–9 years after the initiation of the MWA interventions, the results have not been more substantial. According to statistics, the participation rate of the oldest worker groups (55–64 years of age) in work has increased towards the end of the 1990s.
The Finnish innovation in the MWA, created at the beginning of the past decade, has launched activities and provided stimuli in various sectors. MWA has become a new framework for the development of occupational health services, but also for occupational safety and health, as well as for the entire enterprise and the work life. It has been implemented with the support of the social partners and with the full support of the government authorities. It has been adopted as an independent activity at the workplaces, and includes the principles of employee participation and development. The costs have been kept under control and its positive impact at the enterprise level has been demonstrated. For practitioners in the field, MWA has provided a stimulus for learning, and for updating their competence and developing the contents of the activity.
Although the MWA is closely linked to the national legislation on occupational health, safety and social security, it has aroused interest also elsewhere in the world. For example, in connection with the Finnish EU Presidency, other Member States expressed their positive interest. The European Commission has adopted parts of MWA in finding solutions to the problems of ageing and employability. It is not, however, possible to transfer the Finnish model to any other country as such, because it depends greatly on the structural aspects, labour policy and social policy of work life that happened to be exceptionally prone to this approach in Finland in the 1990s.
The year 2000 at the FIOH
General trends in Finnish work life
The first year of the new Millennium came to end under positive circumstances, as far as the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, and all of Finnish work life are concerned. Despite the fluctuation in the globalizing economies, the GNP of Finland continued to grow for the seventh consecutive year and increased by 5.7%. The volume of the industrial production grew by 11.1% and employment figures rose by 39,000 persons. Although the unemployment rate remained high, at 9.8%, the number of unemployed people fell by 8,000 persons. Especially the unemployment of both ageing workers and young persons under 24 years of age decreased considerably.
Work life developed ever more in the direction of the Information Society. More than 70% of Finns use information technology daily. The share of information technologies and electronics is 30% of all exports, making them the number one export branch of industry in Finland. The new information technologies have a profound impact also on the contents of work, work demands, workload and risk factors, as well as on the organization of work. Simultaneously with the development of 'new economies', also the 'old' industrial production is becoming increasingly information-intensive. In spite of such changes, the old traditional risks still prevail in many branches of industry. The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health carried out an extensive survey of Finnish work life in 2000. According to the survey, as many as 63% of the employed labour force are still exposed to physical factors in their work, about 42% to chemicals and 8–13% to biological factors. 70% of the workforce encounter problems in ergonomics. A part of these are traditional ergonomic problems related to muscular work and a part are caused by information-intensive work, the use of VDTs in particular.
Simultaneously with the survey carried out in Finland, also a wider survey carried out in 15 EU countries was completed. The European Foundation on Living and Working Conditions, in Dublin, concluded that the development of working conditions during the 1990s has not been as favorable as might have been expected. Surprisingly, the traditional problems have not yet been overcome, while at the same time the rapid changes in work life have brought to light numerous new problems, especially haste, tight schedules at work, and stress.
Compared with the European trends, it seems that the increased haste at work has levelled off in Finland, with the exception of the social and health services. The old ergonomic problems are still surprisingly common, and stress and burnout are more prevalent in Finland than in other EU countries on average.
The increase in traditional work environment risks seems to be associated with the growth of some risky branches, such as construction. The number of notified occupational accidents and occupational diseases increased by 3.7% and that of fatal accidents at work by 39%. Similarly, fatal commuting accidents increased by 43%. The number of fatalities caused by occupational diseases fell by 30%, mostly as a result of the decrease in the number of deaths due to asbestos. The total number of occupational diseases remained the same as in 1999.
The Finnish government launched a program to promote work life for each 4-year parliamentary tenure. The program for the years 1999–2003 includes some 20 goals concerning the development of work life. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has drawn up its own strategy on the implementation of the Government Program in the social and health care sector, focusing especially on:
1. Incentives and financing of social security
2. Coping with work
3. Prevention of social marginalization
4. Healthy life-styles, functional ability and living environment
5. Development of social and health care services, and good practices
6. Advancement of equality
7. Ensuring good governance in the sector.
In all areas, the development work continued throughout the year 2000. The FIOH participated in the implementation of strategies 2–5 and supported also the implementation of item 6 in the context of the work life. The projects of FIOH in improving the work ability of ageing workers, in the training of leadership skills needed in supervising ageing workers, in improving the work ability of personnel in the social and health service sectors, as well as in supporting and developing the functional capacity and work ability of the whole workforce (MWA) were in line with the strategies of the Ministry. The management of change in modern work life was supported with the help of the Action Programs on Information-intensive Work, Human Resources for Work, and Learning Work Organizations – Innovativeness and Information Technology.
The Work and Health in Finland 2000 survey produced interesting information about the development of working conditions in the country in the latter half of the 1990s. As already mentioned, the traditional occupational health and safety risks have not yet been overcome in all respects; the number of occupational accidents and diseases has even risen. On the other hand, the clinically diagnosed and perceived health status of workers has improved. Many organizations seem to have become somewhat rigid however; this may be explained by the high work load and high time pressure. As regards the development of professional skills, there has been a positive trend, i.e. the skills in computer usage and the feeling of coping with work have improved. The workers themselves feel that their work ability and control of work have improved up until retirement age. Also, more older workers are participating in work life. As regards the further development of work ability in the 'new economy', it is still too early to draw any conclusions on its sustainability, but from the point of view of the maintenance of the employees' work ability, the prospects look positive.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health was undertaking two major legislation reforms in 2000. The working group preparing the reform of the Act on Occupational Health Services (OHS) completed its work by the end of the year and submitted its report to the Ministry at the beginning of 2001. The amendments to the OHS legislation clarify the tasks, contents and practices of OHS in the rapidly changing work life. The amendments focus on the quality and the practical impact of the activity. The reform is directed at the new demands to OHS set by the new forms of work contracts.
Similarly, the amendments to the Act on Occupational Safety took into consideration the needs and opportunities arising from the changes in work life, as well as the changing work contracts and new job contents and new ways of organizing work. The working group continues its work in 2001. Through its experts, the FIOH participated actively in the preparation of both laws.
Promotion of occupational health and work ability
The largest proportion of FIOH programs still concentrates on the promotion of occupational health and work ability. Half of the total input of working hours and 40% of the research input are spent on occupational health and work ability. In advisory services, the corresponding percentage is 52%, in training 50%, and in the dissemination of information 48%.
Several projects were carried out in the area of occupational health in 2000. In addition, activities in MWA were evaluated in several projects. The largest project of this kind was the evaluation of MWA projects, funded by the European Social Fund. The evaluation was initiated by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The MWA program was recognized as an appropriate part of the national development strategy for work life. It brings a predictive approach to work life development, supports the goals of equality, strengthens self-steering and innovativeness, and it has promoted networking among the EU projects. The MWA programs have received high credits from the evaluators.
The emphasis in occupational health research was on investigating the most important occupational diseases. Particularly work-related respiratory diseases, dermatoses, and musculoskeletal disorders were studied. Special attention was paid to the work-related causes of common diseases. For example, work-related factors cause about one fifth of all adult asthma cases.
A significant organizational change was also undertaken at FIOH in the area of occupational health and work ability. The Research and Development Centre for Occupational Health Services was re-organized into a department, including some resources also from the Department of Occupational Medicine, the Work Ability Centre and Small Workplace Program. The activities of the new department concentrate mainly on two spheres: the follow-up of the activities and functions of OHS, and the development of methods, contents and practices for OHS. The new department fits well into the reform of the Act on OHS, and the department will be a key actor in supporting the implementation of the new legislation.
Improvement of the work environment
The development of the work environment used some 36% of the FIOH work time input and 37% of the research input, 39% of advisory services, 28% of training and 33% of the dissemination of information. Significant changes were seen: risk assessment became even more important, both at the workplace level and on the national level, due to EU Directive (89/391/EEC) obligating employers to assess the risks at work. Accordingly, the FIOH developed systematically methods for risk assessment at workplace level in concordance with the British standard BS 8800. The FIOH also participated in the development work of the risk assessment forum of the small enterprises, producing some tools for the risk management of small workplaces.
Simultaneously, training in risk assessment was intensified and several guidebooks were published to support the activity. A method was developed to assess chemical risks, and on the initiative of the EU, a lot of work was also done to improve methods in demanding risk assessment of chemicals. The assessment methods were extended to cover also other than the traditional risk factors. Two new Action Programs were planned during the year. One of these is Work Environment 2005, whose goal is to provide as accurate as possible a picture of the occupational exposures in Finland, to intensify risk assessment, and to develop methods for risk management.
In wood-working industries, there are several exposures, of which noise and wood dust are the most important. Surprisingly, only few studies have been carried out on wood dust, particulate size and structure, chemical structure, and agents extracted from dust, even though these exposures are relatively common. Also data on the health effects of wood dust are relatively scarce. When the Directive on Carcinogens of the EU was being prepared, the carcinogenic properties of wood dust were actively discussed. This discussion revealed the lack of scientific data on this issue. Because the wood industry in Finland is of central importance, the FIOH decided to launch an Action Program on Wood Dust. Its goal is to investigate exposure to wood dust, the properties of various wood dusts, the health risks and risk assessment. The Action Program was planned in 2000 and it will be started in 2001. A significant part of the funding of the various projects has come from the EU. Several individual projects also focus on the elimination of wood dust, its economic effects, the wood dust arising from various wood-working techniques, and the determination of chemicals emitted from wood dust.
The health hazards of several other chemical, biological and physical factors were also explored. In the area of physical hygiene, two important methods were developed: a model for predicting the risk of hearing loss, and an acoustic model as a basis for noise attenuation. The problems in mold-contaminated and water-damaged buildings were actively addressed with methods developed by the Institute's laboratories.
Development of work organizations
The development of work organizations took up some 14% of the Institute's work time input, 14% of the research input, 10% of advisory service input, 22% of the training input and 15% of the input in the dissemination of information.
Two extensive organization development projects were completed. One of them was the third in a series of projects in the field of trade and services, concentrating on the working conditions in retail trade. The other was a follow-up study in banking and insurance. Both of these studies shed light on the long-term changes in working conditions. In the service branches, some long-term trends could be seen. Increasing workload, increased haste and time pressure, and in the retail trade also the threat of violence and problems with working times. In insurance, the implementation of information technology, as well as problems with software, were significant. On the other hand, some positive developments could also be seen in the service sector due to the increased opportunities for learning and development.
Two Action Programs continued in work organization development. In one of them, Learning Work Organizations – Innovativeness and Information Technology, several evaluation studies on work communities were completed, and also a representative questionnaire survey on work organizations was carried out. The study carried out among municipal workers focused on organizational changes, solutions concerning the personnel, and sick leaves; it aroused considerable interest also internationally. The Action Program on Human Resources for Work continued to investigate the relationship between workload, stress and burnout. Several new methods for assessing working conditions and psychological workload were validated. The prevalence types of burnout were studied in various occupational groups. The second part of this Action Program was also prepared during the year.
Research
Altogether 39% of the Institute's work input was used for research. Nearly half of this input (49%) was used for research on occupational health and work ability, 37% was used for research on the work environment, and 14% on work organizations. A total of 224 research projects were going on, 42 new ones were started, and 38 projects were completed.
In all, FIM 47.2 million, i.e. about 30% of the costs of research, were obtained from external funding sources. Thus, about one third of the Institute's research is covered by external funding, the rest with government funds.
The outputs of research increased considerably from the previous year, and clearly exceeded the target set.
The research process was analysed with the aim to renew the instructions and guidelines for research. The Advisory Board for Research concentrated on developing the training and education of the researchers. The FIOH participated in the work of graduate schools of universities by supporting them directly and by sending young researchers for training. Altogether 13 doctoral dissertations were presented during the year. The Institute participated in the activity of four EU Topic Centres of the Bilbao Agency for Safety and Health at Work (i.e. research, stress, dangerous substances, and musculoskeletal disorders).
FIOH succeeded well in applying for grants from the EU Fifth Framework Program. In the field of toxicology in particular, the FIOH started to coordinate large joint projects in collaboration with European and other research institutions.
The new laboratory building constructed for the Institute in Meilahti will in the future strongly support also research activities. The new facilities allow the adoption of new analytical methods which will significantly intensify research in toxicology, physical and chemical occupational hygiene, and occupational safety.
Advisory services
Advisory services took up 35% of the Institute's work time input in 2000. Occupational health and work ability, constituted most of the services (51%); next came the work environment with 39%. This leaves 10% to the work organization services. The income from services grew during the year, and the output exceeded the expected numbers in most services. However, the number of services in occupational medicine did not grow; this was due to the fact that the Department of Occupational Medicine was housed in temporary premises.
The quality system for services was developed, and several service analyses were accredited. Gradually all activities related to advisory services will be brought within the system of quality assurance. A significant part of the Institute's laboratory analyses and analytical services are already accredited, and this trend will be continued in the future.
The innovation index of the FIOH service activities is high, because the vast majority of the methods and practices have been developed at the Institute. This guarantees the high level of the services, but at the same time it also affects the cost structure. The services are somewhat more expensive than would be the case with simpler but less reliable and accurate methods.
Training
Training used some 13% of the FIOH working time input. Most of the training was offered in the area of work organizations, whereas in the area of the work environment the share of training was smaller. As expected, the numbers of both participants, trainee days and courses decreased by about 10% from the previous year. The goals of the agreement on management by objectives with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health were nevertheless achieved. The training concentrated strongly on improving the basic skills and expertise of the occupational health and safety personnel, because there was a great demand in this sphere of activity. A program to improve the leadership skills of the supervisors of ageing workers, was a part of the National Ageing Program, and was carried out in collaboration with four other training institutions.
Training in occupational health was strengthened through the establishment of a professorship in Occupational Health at the University of Helsinki. Professor Matti S. Huuskonen of FIOH was appointed the first professor. As a result of this arrangement, and of the 20-year development work, all the five medical faculties in the country now have a professorship in Occupational Health, with a professor appointed from the FIOH experts. This arrangement also fulfils well the principle of networking, and intensifies the collaboration among universities and research institutions.
The national Training Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and Work Life was under preparation as a joint effort of the Ministries and the FIOH. The aim is to start the activities in 2001.
Information
The dissemination of information used some 13% of the Institute's working time input. The volume of this activity remained the same as in 1999, but the contents were strongly developed. In collaboration with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, a new type of series of lectures on selected topics in occupational health and safety was produced for TV. The topics covered globalization and the work life, the ageing of the work force, psychological workload, and learning in work life. The electronic dissemination of information was developed also in other ways, especially by improving the contents of the Institute's www-pages, with specific pages on various topics, such as ergonomics, psychological well-being, chemical safety, occupational safety, and occupational health services. In addition, the dissemination of information concerning the action programs channeled the information activities to the most central topics of work life.
At the international level, the main events, as regards the dissemination of information, were the publishing of the English version of the Work Health Safety magazine which is distributed to more than 100 countries. Also the collaboration with the ILO in publishing the African Newsletter and the Asian-Pacific Newsletter, targeted at the African and Asian-Pacific Regions, respectively, was continued. In addition, a similar newsletter was published for Estonia together with the Estonian colleagues, and for the Barents Region in collaboration with the Russian, Swedish and Norwegian institutions and experts. The World Congress of the International Commission on Occupational Health, held every three years, was organized in August in Singapore. The FIOH participated extensively in the dissemination of the most recent occupational health and safety information. The ICOH’2000 sent also a so-called Millennium Message to the Millenniun Summit of over 160 heads of states convening on the initiative of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan in New York. The Message emphasized the crucial role of improving working conditions in the alleviation and elimination of poverty from the world. The FIOH participated in the preparation of the Message.
Prerequisites and resources
The prerequisites of the whole Institute were significantly improved with the completion of the new building for the laboratories. The construction was completed on schedule, and the budget remained within the planned financial framework. The new laboratories offer excellent facilities for further development. The renovation of the Institute's old premises will, however, handicap the activities still in 2001.
The information systems of the Institute did not meet any problems with the Year 2000 transition. The transition had been carefully prepared in advance. At the same time, the whole Institute was transferred to the new NT system. This will, in the future, allow more and increasingly flexible net services, both internally within the Institute and externally.