From computer microchips, to molecular personalized medicine to cloud computing, to space explorations and a galaxy of industry sectors, occupations have changed beyond imagination. With the diversity in occupational domains come diverse risks and hazards which pose a threat to human homeostasis at the micro milieu, macro milieu or even the psychological milieu.

Occupation health is a science and management art which deals with all relevant and possible health and safety issues at workplace and has a primary focus towards primary or even primordial prevention of hazards. Worker / employee health and wellbeing has multiple determinants which if not managed positively and proactively can potentially lead to diseases like cancers, accidents, organ system diseases (cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmological, hearing, respiratory, etc) or even psychological problems.

Present day occupational problems do include but are not limited to the conventional issues like, working hours, salary, workplace policies, maternity benefits, hazardous exposures, accident risks, etc and have concentrated towards a more holistic and complex factors, operational collectively on the health of a working individual. This complexity has provided more meaning to the specialty of Occupational Health and Safety Management

A thorough training in occupational health management is paramount for crafting specialists who look at the penumbra of human health which is due to the occupational exposures rather than the more common community disease causation and pathology.

Occupational Medicine is one amongst the many disciplines which has the potential to benefit from the information availability in a concerted and focused manner in the form of online distance learning programs. The targeted population of these online programs in occupational health is the physicians already working or intending to work in diverse industries. Besides physicians, the life science specialists who take up managerial responsibility regarding health of the employees will be befitted by such programs.

Role of an Occupational Health Specialist

Occupational health specialists are the trained professionals who advise on and manage workplace environments to the level that ensures a safe and healthy occupation. Occupational medicine specialists play a premier role in ensuring that the health and well being of employees is maintained by preventing occupation-related illness and providing standard and specialist rehabilitation advice. Occupational Health and Safety Management professionals provide exclusive, impartial and evidence based advice to employees and employers on the impacts of work conditions on health and the effects of health on work.

For example, the advice of an occupational medicine specialist could be important in deciding how to manage a capability problem or in providing relevant and critical evidence in a claim to an employment tribunal. As well as catering to the daily health issues that occur, a lot of the work of an occupational health management professional is preventative, targeting a reduction in potential problems at the workplace.

Occupational Health and Safety Management professionals:

• Ensures prevention of work related ill health
• Function as an advisory on employee health fitness, nutrition, psychological health, injury prevention, accident safe environment, etc.
• Advise on the infrastructural changes necessary to maintain a safe workplace
• Ensure that the employees are in good health and help prevent sickness absenteeism.
• Provide scientific and evidence based advice on matters of rehabilitation as and when required for an employee or group.
• Promote a healthy living, lifestyle, hygiene and sanitation.
• Advise and implement appropriate policies and guidelines to maintain a safe and healthy work environment
• Be an expert in the area of occupational health research and related health issues.

It is prudent to understand that modern day occupational health management requires an interdisciplinary approach where a professional needs to be cognizant of all the latest developments in the field.