Occupational medicine is a field of medicine that deals with the requirements of the workplace on the health of the employee and the prevention of occupational diseases. It enables, among other things, the humane design of work on a scientific basis and the promotion of needs-based measures to protect against occupational accidents. Training to become an occupational physician takes a total of 5 years and follows on from the successful completion of medical studies as a specialist. This minimum training period of 5 years consists of 2 years of training in the field of internal medicine or occupational medicine and 3 additional years of occupational medicine training. It is also mandatory to complete a theoretical course of at least 3 months at a recognized academy for occupational medicine during the training.
The procedure
The medical specialty of occupational medicine is defined in the medical continuing education law of the German Medical Association as follows:
“The field of occupational medicine, as a preventive medical specialty, encompasses the interrelationships between work and occupation on the one hand and health and diseases on the other, the promotion of the health and performance of working people, the prevention, detection, treatment and assessment of occupational and environmental diseases and occupational illnesses, the prevention of work-related health hazards including individual and occupational health counseling, the prevention of aggravation and occupational rehabilitation.”
Occupational medicine is thus a primarily preventive medical specialty. It deals with causal research in order to minimize the risk of occupational diseases or accidents. The following elements, among others, make up the field of occupational medicine:
- Ensuring occupational safety
- Finding the cause of work-related health hazards
- Prevention of diseases, especially occupational diseases and occupational accidents.
- Development of prevention concepts
- Behavioral prevention – e.g. guidance on healthy eating or lifestyle.
- Relational prevention – e.g. back-friendly design of a workplace with predominantly sedentary work.
- Occupational health screening – e.g. fitness and aptitude tests or vaccinations.
- Ensuring emergency medical care or first aid at the workplace.
- Medical advice to employers and employees
- Dealing with insurance law issues relating to occupational diseases (occupational diseases list; BK list).
- Supporting function in the development of occupational health and safety management.
- Integration and reintegration of underperforming workers (disabled persons or professional re-entry after or in the event of chronic illness).
As diverse as the tasks of the trained occupational physician is also the knowledge that is taught during the training. In addition to general medical knowledge, content of industrial psychology, psychosocial aspects and knowledge of business management processes are necessary to meet the given requirements. The following precisely defined examinations and treatment procedures are part of the daily occupational medical activities:
- Preventive examinations, which relate to legal bases.
- Hazard analyses
- Workplace assessment
- Advice on ergonomic workplace design
- Examination of hearing and vision
- Pulmonary function test
- Assessment and evaluation of given work environment factors – e.g. noise, hazardous substances, lighting or climate.
Occupational health is based on the following objective:
- Prevention of diseases
- Appraisal of requirements, conditions and organization of work.
- Examination of the health of the person with regard to his ability to work or employability.
- Promoting the restoration of health
The field of occupational medicine is necessary and indispensable, as it enables the implementation of work in a humane way.
