The ethical challenges of the occupational physician in our time

An increasing interest in professional ethics is observed among occupational health professionals. To this may contribute the ongoing financial crisis of world economy. The moral development, induced i.a. by the Nuremberg trials in 1947 has probably contributed to a changing moral landscape. Within health professions, including many categories of occupational health professionals there is an increasing awareness of the needs to revisit points of departure in building up ethical competence to and prepare their members for tasks in the Labour market. Selected topics will be commented on in respect to their challenges to occupational professional health ethics. Widening of perspectives of Ethics in traditional Hippocratic medical ethics issues related to requirements of confidentiality and informed consent.