10 Best Things To Know About Occupational Medicine

Occupational medicine is a specialized field of medicine that examines, diagnoses, and manages physical, psychological, and organizational problems related to the workplace. As an incredibly new field, there are still many things for the general public to learn about occupational medicine. By knowing the basics, individuals can make more informed decisions on how to create safe and healthy work environments as well as ensure their own well-being when it comes to their job. In this blog, I will discuss 10 essential things all individuals should know regarding occupational medicine.

1. What purpose does it serve: occupational medicine is an important field within health care with its main focus on the health of employees and protecting them from risk. This includes identifying, assessing, and managing occupational hazards in the workplace.
2. A deeper dive: occupational medicine focuses on the identification, assessment, and management of potential hazards and risks, such as physical and chemical agents and other environmental factors that can cause occupational health problems.
3. What employers should do: provide health promotion and disease prevention advice, offer periodic screenings and preventive health care, control workplace and environmental health risks, and promote health education to minimize and prevent employee health risks in the workplace.
4. How to prevent injury: employers an employees alike should assess tasks that are commonly engaged in for the respected occupation. Then, examine how frequently those tasks are performed in a risky manner, and from there you can take the necessary action in order to prevent further injury from said risky task.
5. Practitioner’s involvement: Occupational medicine practitioners may also be involved in developing and implementing safety protocols and procedures to prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace. They also could work with employers to identify and address potential health and safety issues within the workplace, as well as provide training and education to workers on how to stay safe on the job.
6. Common exams: some exams for occupational medicine include: blood and urine testing, DOT physicals, EKG testing, FAA medical exam, return to work exam, TB skin testing, and pre-employment health exams.
7. Employers are in charge: typically, employers may be required to pay for occupational medicine exams as part of their employee health and safety programs. 
8. Testing timing: occupational medicine exams may be conducted on a regular basis, such as annually or every few years, or as needed based on an employee’s job duties or health history.
9. Other uses: the results of occupational medicine exams may be used to inform decisions about an employee’s job placement, job duties, or working conditions.
10. Things to expect: occupational medicine is an important part of the workplace for ensuring the safety and health of all employees. For more information, visit Advanced OccMed’s occupational medicine page.