[Health Protection in the Workplace: Special Commission of the Swiss Society for Occupational Medicine, Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Safety].

Fridolin Schuler (1832-1903), physician in Glarus, laid the foundations of the Swiss legislation for the protection of the working population. The law for illness and accident insurance followed in 1911, it was complemented with regulations concerning the protection from occupational diseases. Of great practical importance were coordinated efforts of physicians, technologists, hygienists and safety engineers, who founded in 1956 the "Studiengruppe für Gesundheitsschutz in Industrie und Gewerbe". In 1973 they joined with the "Groupement romand" in the "Swiss Society for occupational medicine, occupational hygiene and occupational safety" (AAA). In 1964 the Association of Swiss occupational physicians has been founded. In order to strengthen the promotion of occupational health in Switzerland a special commission on occupational medicine was constituted in 1980 within the AAA. Several subcommissions are presently working on a steadily increasing number of problems in the field of occupational health.