Environmental and Occupational Health
Core concepts
Environmental health addresses air, water, food, and waste safety, vector control, and climate-related risks. Occupational health covers hazard identification (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial), hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE), and surveillance of work-related illness. Know exposure pathways and vulnerable groups.
Traps in questions
- Relying on PPE as the first control instead of the last.
- Missing exposure history in assessment.
- Ignoring vulnerable populations (children, pregnant women, workers).
- Confusing acute with chronic exposure effects.
- Overlooking reporting of occupational injuries.
Worked example / rule of thumb
A worker reports persistent cough in a dusty factory. Priority: take occupational history, recommend engineering controls, and refer for evaluation. Rule of thumb: apply the hierarchy of controls-eliminate or engineer before relying on PPE.
Key teaching points
Use the hierarchy of controls. Take exposure histories. Protect vulnerable groups. Report occupational injuries.