Work today and in the future : Perspectives on Occupational Safety and Health challenges and opportunities for the Nordic labour inspectorates

This report was commissioned by the Nordic Director Generals at the labour inspectorates to better prepare the labour inspectorates for the future of work. The report is authored by the Nordic Future of Work Group. The purpose of the report is to identify and analyse the occupational safety and health challenges to labour inspectorates in the light of the imminent future of work. Three main aspects make this report unique. First, the report focusses on occupational safety and health and labour inspection. This perspective is not common in future of work studies and analyses. Second, the report gives practical recommendations for labour inspectorates. Third, the report provides an exclusive Nordic perspective on themes of regional and global importance in the context of labour inspection. This report delivers a diverse set of perspectives on the future of work and occupational safety and health based on published literature and active engagement with national and international stakeholders as well as the research community. It is anticipated that the future of work will be influenced by four drivers: the changes attributed to technology, demographics, globalisation, and environmental and climate change. These drivers independently or taken together have an impact on occupational safety and health. The report concludes with providing general and specific recommendations to better equip the labour inspectorates to meet the challenges of the near and distant future. These practical recommendations form the context for the further development of Nordic labour inspectorates ability to tackle occupational safety and health challenges as they concern the future of work