From factory inspection to adult health service; a review of governmental administration of occupational health.

In western Europe, the view seems to be widely held that the protection of the health of workers, by definition and by practical necessity, must be a legal responsibility of ministries or departments of labour. There are good historical reasons for this viewpoint, and considerable practical experience to back it up. In today's world, however, where newly industrializing countries are looking to the west for advice, it is worth examining the assumptions of this principle. Certainly, one does not want to export ideas about social organization and governmental administration which would not apply well in other cultures or, indeed, may not even be properly meeting the current needs of the older industrialized nations themselves.