[Legal problems associated with occupational medicine that psychiatrists need to know about]

In 1988 the Japanese government revived the Labor Safety Hygiene law to include a new section called Workers' Total Health Promotion Plan. Before that time worker's mental health issues weren't legally the responsibility of the Company. Guidelines and standards to maintain and assess the mental health of the workers were established in August 2000. In March 2009 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Labor Standard Bureau (No. 0326002) started to promote new methods for maintaining the mental health of Japans' work force. From May of this year based on the suggestions of a government committee for Mental Health in the Workplace the government is looking at requiring the yearly physical examinations of employees to include mental health check ups as well. This committee presented its report in July of 2010. I reported that mental health is as critical to employees' over all health and well being as their physical health. Mental health issues should be covered by all occupational health safety and hygiene laws.