Plain-language explanation.
Occupational health is the branch of medicine and public health concerned with the physical and mental health of workers. It aims to prevent work-related illness and injury, promote wellbeing in the workplace, and ensure workers are fit to do their jobs safely.
Core concepts and standard treatment.
Core occupational health covers workplace hazards (physical — noise, vibration, radiation, temperature; chemical — COSHH Regulations — solvents, dusts, fumes; biological — blood-borne pathogens, zoonoses; ergonomic — manual handling, DSE, repetitive strain; psychosocial — stress, harassment, shift work), occupational diseases (occupational asthma, COPD, dermatitis, mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, work-related musculoskeletal disorders — WRMSDs), legal framework (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; HSE guidance; RIDDOR — Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), and fitness-for-work assessment (sickness absence management; return-to-work interviews; reasonable adjustments — Equality Act 2010).
Deeper theory, debates and edge cases.
Advanced occupational health covers occupational medicine speciality (Faculty of Occupational Medicine — FOM; AFOM/MFOM examinations; independent medical examinations — IMA reports; medicolegal reporting), toxicology in the workplace (biological monitoring — urinary metabolites, blood lead levels; WEL — workplace exposure limits — EH40; ACGIH BEIs), mental health at work (work-related stress — HSE Management Standards; burnout — Maslach Burnout Inventory; psychological safety — Amy Edmondson; EAP — Employee Assistance Programmes), and complex return-to-work (capability procedures; PHI — permanent health insurance; Fit Note since 2010 — Statement of Fitness to Work; occupational rehabilitation — case management), and occupational hygiene (sampling strategies, exposure modelling, engineering controls vs PPE hierarchy).
How it is applied in practice.
At the consultant occupational physician and occupational health adviser level, practitioners contribute to Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Journal of Occupational Health; lead occupational health services for NHS Trusts, large employers (FTSE 100), and military organisations (DPHC); advise HSE on regulatory development and enforcement; provide expert witness evidence in personal injury claims (asbestos litigation, vibration white finger, occupational deafness); develop SEQOHS-accredited occupational health services; and contribute to NHS Health at Work Network and Society of Occupational Medicine policy work.