Occupational Safety Option: Occupational Physician
Occupational medicine is a clinical specialty and a branch of medicine focused on keeping individuals well at work, both mentally and physically. As workplaces become more complex, occupational physicians play an important role in advising people on how their work may affect their health. This profession steps back and assesses the individual's environment and how their overall health may affect their ability to work safely. The job of an occupational physician can vary according to the hazards of a particular industry and involves clinical medical activity and the investigation of workplaces. An occupational physician works with professional groups including nurses, occupational health advisors, psychologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, health, safety, and environmental specialists, and therapists.
What Do Occupational Physicians Do?
An occupational physician can help employers identify specific areas of risk for the health and safety of their employees. This will help reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace, as well as lower the cost of a company's insurance premiums. If a worker is injured, then the doctor can advise on the best rehabilitation treatment and assess them to determine if there are any ongoing risks to their health in the workplace. Occupational health services are also used to help companies manage short and long-term absences.
Occupational physicians assess the interaction between work and health. They are responsible for employee health and must:
- Promote health in the workplace and lifestyles
- Help prevent work-related illnesses and injuries
- Be familiar with the hazards and stressors of work processes
- Diagnose and treat occupational diseases and manage injuries
- Be knowledgeable about rehabilitation methods
- Provide rehabilitation to help individuals return to work
- Propose/implement policies to ensure a safe and healthy workplace
- Advise on alternative suitable work for people with health problems
- Propose workplace adjustments to help people stay in work
You can visit the relevant online companies on the websites that provide uninterrupted OHSM (Occupational Health and Safety Center) services to learn more about the work of occupational physicians on the construction site.
