LFOM Written case studies
LFOM Written · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The LFOM Written examination is the written component of the Licentiate of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, the qualification route associated with the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians in London. It is aimed at doctors who are developing a career in occupational medicine and who need to demonstrate a structured, evidence-based understanding of the specialty before progressing further. The LFOM Written case studies are 5 cases and about 2,371 words.
1The welder with a rising blood lead and a worried employer
A 41-year-old welder in a fabrication shop has had three blood lead results over 18 months: 1.4 µmol/L, 1.7 µmol/L and now 2.1 µmol/L (roughly 29, 35 and 43 µg/dL). He works 10-hour shifts four days a week, often in confined spaces cutting lead-painted steel, and admits he smokes in the rest area and rarely washes his hands before eating.
525 words, about 3 min2Night-shift safety-critical worker with new epilepsy diagnosis
A 34-year-old process operator at a chemical plant works a rotating 12-hour shift pattern including nights. He is responsible for monitoring alarms and manually overriding a safety interlock during batch transfers.
507 words, about 3 min3Confidentiality request from a worker with a positive skin check
A 52-year-old maintenance technician attends for statutory skin surveillance because he works with metalworking fluids and has had two previous excisions of basal cell carcinoma. Today you note a new, irregular pigmented lesion on his forearm that he has not noticed.
457 words, about 2 min4Return-to-work after a back injury with a fixed lifting limit
A 46-year-old warehouse picker has been off work for nine weeks with an acute-on-chronic lumbar disc protrusion. His physiotherapist has documented a safe lifting limit of 8 kg and advised against repeated bending and twisting.
451 words, about 2 min5Pre-employment assessment and a disclosed mental health condition
A 29-year-old applies for a customer-facing role in a busy call centre handling complaints about billing. The role involves eight-hour shifts on the phones, strict call-handling targets and occasional verbal abuse from customers.
431 words, about 2 min