Thematic Network on Working in the Arctic held a Session on Occupational Safety and Health at UArctic Congress 2026

The session was a collaboration between UArctic Chair, Professor Tiina Ikäheimo, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and the Arctic OSH network (supported by the Ministry of Health and Care Services in Norway), including Kirsi Jussila (lead), Docent, Senior Researcher at FIOH, and Hans Pettersson (vice-lead), Docent at Umeå University.

This session focused on the intersection of occupational safety and health (OSH) and climate change in the Arctic, aiming to explore strategies for adaptation and resilience to protect workers, workplaces, and communities from climate-related challenges. Eight oral presentations were given during the session, with speakers from Greenland, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Both young researchers at the early stages of their careers and experienced professionals shared their research studies.

The Thematic Network on Working in the Arctic also held a joint meeting on "Working in the Changing Arctic" at the University of the Faroe Islands. The aim of the meeting was to bring together experts in the research field and to identify common interests and topics for future collaborative research projects.

In the future, the thematic network will continue its active work to develop collaborative networks that support human working capacities in the Arctic. The network is coordinated by Kirsi Jussila (lead), Senior Researcher at FIOH, and Hans Pettersson (vice-lead), Docent at Umeå University.

Photo 1: From left: Hans Pettersson, Tiina Ikäheimo and Kirsi Jussila.
Photo 2: During the session" Occupational Safety and Health in the Arctic: Building climate resilience for workers and communities": Tiina Ikäheimo, Hans Pettersson, Kirsi Jussila.