Professional ethics in occupational health — A European perspective

Rapid change and innovation of work pose major ethical challenges to societies, enterprises and organizations, to employers, employees and occupational health professionals. Implications include changing conception of health and expectations regarding evidence-based practices in occupational health. Competence in analyzing ethical implications of occupational health interventions is an important component of professionalism. The ethical analyses based on commonly used ethical criteria in the Western world of doing good (beneficence), avoidance of harm (non-malfeasance), autonomy and equity/justice are discussed. Issues of multiple loyalties of occupational health professionals are reviewed and also the current debate on ethical codes.