Opsporing en preventie van beroepsziekten door medici bij de Arbeidsinspectie (1903-1986)

- The Dutch government started to organize medical care for workers at the end of the 19th century in order to prevent work-related damage to health. From 1903 on, medical advisors were appointed by the Labour Inspectorate to signal the development of occupational diseases and to take preventive measures. For this purpose, thousands of medical check-ups of workers were performed. A second main task was the detection and study of occupational diseases in specific branches of industry. With the rise of the industrial health services, as propagated by the medical advisors, the medical department finally closed down in 1986.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007;151:484-7