[Occupational diseases in an airline company]

617 cases of occupational health disorders in an average population of approximately 4,400 were reported by the Occupational Health Services of the Norwegian section of SAS during the period 1985 to 1996. Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for approximately 75% of all registered disorders. Wherever possible, occupational disorders should be registered and preventive measures initiated by the company. It is therefore of great importance that a registration system should include all occupational disorders. If we compare our figures with the official Norwegian figures from the Labour Inspectorate, we may conclude that only 3-4% of occupational disorders are reported to the Authorities. In particular it seems that many disorders which do not yield economic compensation (musculoskeletal disorders, and mental stress and burnout syndromes) are not reported at all, making it less likely that preventive measures are implemented. The Nordic figures indicate that inadequate reporting occurs more frequently in Norway than in Sweden, Denmark and Finland.