The Nordic Expert Group

The Nordic Expert Group is a Nordic collaboration for production of criteria documents as basis for occupational exposure limits.

The main task of the Nordic Expert Group for Criteria Documentation of Health Risks from Chemicals (NEG) is to produce comprehensive criteria documents as scientific basis for the Nordic regulatory authorities when setting occupational exposure limits (OELs). NEG provides, when possible, recommendations for health-based OELs. The recommendations presented reflect the opinion of NEG and authors, not Nordic work environment authorities or authors’ employers.

A second task is to review and comment on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) scientific reports for evaluation of limits values for chemical agents at the workplace.

Occupational exposure limits substance evaluations, the European Chemicals Agency's website

The NEG experts represent different fields including toxicology, occupational hygiene, occupational medicine and epidemiology.

The criteria documents are written in English and published in the scientific serial Arbete och Hälsa. They can be downloaded at the website Publicera or via the list of publications on this page.

Arbete och Hälsa at the website Publicera

The NEG secretariat is financially supported by the Swedish Work Environment Authority and the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion. The Nordic work environment institutes contribute with scientific expertise.

New criteria document

Respirable crystalline silica, external site  

Occupational chemical exposures in combination with unusual working hours, external site

Annual report 2024

NEG Annual report 2024, in Swedish, pdf

Publications

Ongoing documents

  • Reduced ambient oxygen levels
  • Wood dust
  • Occupational chemical exposures and COPD
  • Portland cement
  • Respirable and inhalable dusts
  • Styrene
  • Welding fumes

Author instructions

NEG strives towards a common procedure and format for the documents. Information and guidelines how to elaborate a NEG criteria document is found in the instructions below. 

Instructions to authors, pdf


Nordic research institutes and regulatory authorities relating to the working environment

Sweden

Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket)

Norway

National Institute of Occupational Health (Statens arbeidsmiljøinstitutt), external site

The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet), external site

Denmark

National Research Centre for the Working Environment (Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Arbejdsmiljø), external siteThe Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet), external site

Finland

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Työterveyslaitos), external site

Nordic Occupational exposure limits (OELs)

Occupational exposure limits in Denmark, external site

Occupational exposure limits in Finland, external site

Occupational exposure limits in Norway, external site

Occupational exposure limits in Sweden

Contacts to experts

Gunnar Johanson (chairman)

Institute of Environmental Medicine, external site

Karolinska Institutet
Box 210
SE-171 77 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 524 877 52
E-mail: gunnar.johanson(at)ki.se

Linda Schenk

Institute of Environmental Medicine, external site

Karolinska Institutet
Box 210
SE-171 77 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 524 879 68
E-mail: linda.schenk(at)ki.se

Mattias Öberg

Institute of Environmental Medicine, external site

Karolinska Institutet
Box 210
SE-171 77 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 524 885 05 
E-mail: mattias.oberg(at)ki.se

Anne Thoustrup Saber

National Research Centre for the Working Environment, external site

Lersø Parkallé 105
DK-2100 København Ø
Denmark
Tel: +45 39 16 52 12
E-mail: ats(at)nfa.dk

Piia Taxell

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, external site

PB 18
FI-00032 Arbetshälsoinstitutet
Finland
Tel: +358 30 474 2234
E-mail: piia.taxell(at)ttl.fi

Merete D. Bugge

National Institute of Occupational Health, external site

PB 5330 Majorstuen
NO-0304 Oslo 
Norway
Tel: +47 23 19 53 83
E-mail: merete.bugge(at)stami.no

Susann Wolf

National Institute of Occupational Health, external site

PB 5330 Majorstuen
NO-0304 Oslo
Norway
Tel: +47 23 19 52 83
E-mail: susann.wolf(at)stami.no

Secretariat

Anna-Karin Alexandrie and Britt-Marie Larsson (scientific secretary)

Swedish Work Environment Authority
Box 9082
SE-171 09 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 10 730 90 84/+46 10 730 96 86
E-mail: anna-karin.alexandrie(at)av.se
E-mail: britt-marie.larsson(at)av.se

Last updated 2025-09-23