[Underreporting of occupational injuries to the Labour Inspection].

Background: The Labour Inspection investigates occupational accidents and publishes injury statistics annually. Information is based upon two main sources: Copies of reports to the National Insurance Service and mandatory reports from employers to the Labour Inspection.
Material and Methods: Occupational injuries treated by Oslo Emergency Ward and Oslo Ambulance Service during a period of three months were compared with injuries recorded by the Labour Inspection.
Results: Four months after the end of the study period, the Labour Inspection had received reports from the National Insurance Service on 150 (13%) of the 1,153 injuries recorded by Oslo Emergency Ward/Oslo Ambulance Service. Among all injuries registered, 208 were serious according to the criteria of the Labour Inspection. Only 19 (9%) of these were reported directly to the Labour Inspection from employers in accordance with the legal requirement. The study recorded 17 serious injuries caused by violence affecting employees; none of these were reported directly to the Labour Inspection.
Interpretation: Data on occupational injuries collected by the Labour Inspection are far from complete. In Oslo alone, the Labour Inspection may annually overlook some 900-1,000 serious injuries. Data quality can be improved and delayed reporting avoided by using information from doctors and medical institutions that provide treatment.