This section provides healthcare professionals with an A to Z of information, from asthma, to MSK and mental health in the workplace. Click on the right on this page for specific information about menopause in the workplace or click here. At the bottom of this page there is information about occupational health policy engagement.
Occupational health (OH) is a rewarding and interesting career and one that allows a good work/life balance. Interested? Visit our Careers page. The OH world is friendly and there are more people than you think willing to help and support you!
Being a member of The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) supports your career in OH. For more information click here.
As a start, the World Health Organization (WHO) has produced a publication on disease prevention through safer workplaces, which discusses OH risks by disease type. WHO OH activity is summarised here. SOM membership gives you access to the latest research via its Journal of Occupational Medicine. Also, take a look at Health and work: what physicians need to know and the OECD policy brief Promoting Health and Well-being at Work. Finally, we often forget that healthcare professionals are human too, and are just as prone to illness as anyone else. They take care of us, but who takes care of them? In this video, Professor Debbie Cohen explains why we need to adapt treatment to suit the challenges that come with treating healthcare professionals, and what the occupational medicine community is doing to ensure these competencies are developed and promoted.
Video here:
A to Z below:
Agriculture and fishing
Alcohol and drugs in the workplace
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/occupational-health/alcohol-drugs-and-the-workplace
Asthma
Toolkit - Work-related asthma and occupational asthma:
- Introduction
- GP and practice nurse guide to occupational asthma
- Employers' guide to occupational asthma
- A worker's guide to occupational asthma
Other asthma resources:
- Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management (NICE)
NICE page on asthma. Includes diagnosis, monitoring, and management for patients that suffer from asthma. - Royal College of Physicians management and prevention of occupational asthma guidelines. Diagnosis, prevention and management of occupational asthma (RCP London)
- Asthma UK: See Asthma UK description in "Are you an Employer" websites.
- British Thoracic Society Clinical Statement on occupational asthma here.
- Occupational asthma and work guidance here.
Cancer
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/how-we-work/work-and-cancer/
Chemical hazards
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/mobilepocketguide.html?s_cid=3ni7d2mNPGDdesk082016
Choosing OH software
Read the SOM guide to choosing OH software here.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) here.
Climate change
Time to act on climate and health paper here.
Consensus statement for health professionals
2019 Healthcare Professionals' Consensus Statement on Health and Work
Construction
SOM Construction Worker Health Assessment Guidance - Launch Copy
COVID-19
SOM Resources and SOM Statements
Disability
Acas and BEIS disability hub - clear advice and guidance on disability employment rights for both employers and workers
Doctors
Working conditions of junior doctors - research-informed film here. Articles here, here, here and here
Driving
Driving and riding safely for work - HSE guidance
E learning on health and work
Health Education England Health and Work e-learning
Fit note
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fit-note-guidance-for-gps
How to get the most out of the fit note - BJGP article here.
Enabling alternate health care professionals to issue fit notes here.
Fitness to drive
Hard metal workers
https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/uops-lst082917.php
HAVS
Hearing
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/what-works-guides-action-plan-on-hearing-loss/
UKHCA Hearing Protection Fit Testing Guidance here.
HIV
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/417_WorkingWithHIV.pdf
Hybrid working
Long COVID
FOM updated guidance for healthcare professionals here.
Long COVID and Return to Work - What Works?
Men
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/mens_mental_health_work.pdf
Menopause
European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) position statement here.
Mental health
The benefits of improving mental health in the workplace and how to support mental health at work are outlined here.
An article discussing why it is important to be able to discuss mental health in the workplace here.
A write up of the 2017 mental health event that SOM held with the BPS is here.
A write up of the 2018 SOM/BPS mental health event is here.
Read the report 'What could make a difference to the mental health of UK doctors?'
Read the leaflet for OH practitioners 'Looking after your mental wellbeing'
NICE mental health at work guidance here.
WHO: Mental Health at Work factsheet here.
Mitigating the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers: A Digital Learning Package here.
Caring for the carers (the following is free and available to use):
Under Pressure research programme
NHS employee suicide: a postvention toolkit here.
MSK
MSK Health Toolkit for employers and further education institutions here.
Needs assessment
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workplace-health-needs-assessment
Neurodiversity
Business Disability Forum Neurodiversity toolkit
Webinars (frontline workers webinar is free)
Evaluating and supporting Neurodifferences at work
NICE
Occupational Health search area at https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/search?q=Occupational%20health
And guidance at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10090
Nursing
FOHN career framework here.
Older workers
https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/news/health-warning-employers
Pain
The Pain at Work Toolkit for Employees with Chronic or Persistent Pain: A Collaborative-Participatory Study here.
Physiotherapy
https://www.csp.org.uk/publications/physiotherapy-works-occupational-health
Pregnancy
Workplace support for employees experiencing pregnancy or baby loss (CIPD Survey results)
Miscarriage Association resources:
- Miscarriage and the workplace
- Human Resources: information and support
- Employers and managers: information and support
Quality in OH
SEQHOS https://www.seqohs.org/
Report writing
SOM Presentation on report writing - by SOM Honorary Clinical Strategic Adviser, Christine Poulter, at Health at Work
Risk Assessment
Occupational_Health_Needs_Risk_Assessment_Matrix_July_2023.pdf - OH Needs Risk Assessment Matrix
Stroke
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/strokevrtoolkit/
Supporting trans employees
http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/6/f/Supporting-trans-employees-in-the-workplace.pdf
https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/workplace-bullying-and-harassment-policies-in-occupational-health/
Terminal Illness
Work modifications guidance
https://www.councilforworkandhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Work-Modifications-Guide.pdf
Occupational Health Policy Engagement
The SOM and FOM responded to the Government’s Green Paper on Work, Health and Disability. Read the response here:
https://www.som.org.uk/sites/som.org.uk/themes/zen/uploads/SOM_and_FOM_response_to_green_paper.pdf
SOM hosted a Consultation Meeting to discuss the Government’s Green Paper on health, work, and disability, see details here:
https://www.som.org.uk/work-and-health-green-paper-consultation-meeting
A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on occupational health and its current state recommended for Health Education England to fund training posts to meet the increasing need of OH practitioners:
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/ianlavery/pages/150/attachments/original/1476691067/OM_Workforce_Crisis_2016_pdf.pdf?1476691067
The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices was an independent review discussing different forms of work and how they relate to employee rights and responsibilities:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/good-work-the-taylor-review-of-modern-working-practices
FOM and SOM also Responded to the Government’s Industrial Strategy Paper - here:
Read the full response
HR and Occupational Health Roundtable with SOM / CIPD and FSB, 8th Feb 2019. Read the notes here:
https://www.som.org.uk/sites/som.org.uk/files/HR_and_Occupational_Health_Roundtable_Notes_Feb_2019_SOM_CIPD_FSB.pdf
Consultation - Health is everyone's business: proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss