LFOM Written key terms

The branch of clinical practice concerned with the relationship between work and health, covering prevention of work-related illness, fitness for work, and rehabilitation of workers.

A clinical judgement that a person's health status allows them to perform the tasks of a specific job safely and effectively, with or without reasonable adjustments.

Illness or disease caused, aggravated, or made more likely by workplace exposures or working conditions, including occupational disease and conditions worsened by work.

A condition with a recognised causal link to a specific workplace exposure, such as pneumoconiosis from dust or dermatitis from skin sensitisers, often subject to statutory reporting.

Asthma caused or worsened by inhalation of workplace sensitisers or irritants, typically with symptoms improving away from work and confirmed by serial peak flow or provocation testing.

An agent capable of inducing an immune-mediated allergic response after repeated exposure, so that even very low subsequent exposures may trigger symptoms such as asthma or contact dermatitis.

Inflammation of the skin caused by workplace irritants or allergens, most commonly affecting the hands, and a leading cause of work-related skin disease.

Injury or pain affecting muscles, tendons, joints, nerves, or the spine that may be caused or aggravated by physical work demands, posture, repetition, or manual handling.

A group of vascular, sensory, and musculoskeletal disorders of the hands and arms caused by prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibration, including vibration white finger.

Irreversible hearing impairment caused by prolonged or intense workplace noise exposure, typically beginning at higher frequencies and detectable by audiometry.

Systematic, ongoing collection and interpretation of health data on workers exposed to specific hazards, aimed at detecting early adverse effects and informing preventive action.

A programme of periodic clinical checks, tests, or questionnaires applied to workers exposed to defined hazards, used to detect work-related ill health at an early, reversible stage.

Measurement of a substance, its metabolite, or a biological effect in body fluids or tissues to assess a worker's internal exposure and compare it with reference or biological limit values.

A reference concentration of a chemical, its metabolite, or a marker effect in a biological sample that indicates an exposure level generally considered acceptable for most workers.

A regulatory or advisory airborne concentration of a hazardous substance to which most workers may be exposed over a defined reference period without expected adverse health effects.

The process of estimating the intensity, frequency, and duration of a worker's contact with a hazard, by measurement, modelling, or observation, to inform risk management and health surveillance.

A hearing test measuring hearing thresholds across frequencies, used in occupational settings to detect noise-induced hearing loss and monitor the effectiveness of hearing conservation measures.

Regular inspection and questioning of workers exposed to skin hazards, such as wet work or sensitisers, to identify early dermatitis or other skin changes and prompt prevention.

Periodic lung function testing and symptom review for workers exposed to respiratory hazards, designed to detect asthma, pneumoconiosis, or other lung disease early.

A lung function test measuring how much and how quickly air can be exhaled, used in respiratory surveillance and in assessing fitness for work involving respiratory hazards or breathing apparatus.

An evaluation of a person's physical or cognitive ability to perform specific work tasks, used to inform fitness decisions, rehabilitation planning, and workplace adjustments.

Coordinated support to help people with health conditions or injuries stay in, return to, or find suitable work, including work modification, graded return, and liaison with employers.

A structured, agreed programme of phased duties, hours, or tasks enabling a worker to resume employment safely after illness or injury, reviewed and adjusted as recovery progresses.

The process of restoring or maximising a person's function, independence, and work ability after illness or injury, through therapy, adaptation, and support.

The design of work, equipment, and tasks to match human physical and cognitive capabilities, reducing strain and the risk of musculoskeletal and other work-related disorders.

Lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, or carrying loads by hand or bodily force; assessed and managed to reduce injury risk through risk assessment, training, and mechanical aids.

A multidisciplinary service providing preventive and clinical advice on work and health to employers and workers, including surveillance, fitness assessment, and workplace risk advice.

A registered nurse with specialist training in work and health, delivering health surveillance, fitness assessments, health promotion, and first-line advice on workplace health risks.

A group of professionals from different disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, hygienists, ergonomists, and psychologists, collaborating to address complex work and health problems.

A specialist who recognises, evaluates, and controls workplace hazards, particularly through exposure measurement and design of engineering and administrative controls.

A structured process of identifying hazards, evaluating who may be harmed and how, and determining and prioritising control measures proportionate to the level of risk.

A ranked approach to reducing risk that prefers eliminating or substituting the hazard, then engineering and administrative controls, with personal protective equipment as a last resort.

Equipment worn or held by a worker to protect against hazards, such as respirators, gloves, or hearing protection; it depends on correct fitting, use, and maintenance.

Face-worn devices that filter or supply clean air to protect the wearer from airborne hazards; effective use requires fit testing, training, and medical fitness to wear.

A qualitative or quantitative check that a tight-fitting respirator seals adequately on an individual's face, required before use and repeated periodically or after facial changes.

Statutes and regulations imposing duties on employers and others to protect the health, safety, and welfare of workers and others affected by work activities.

A legal and ethical obligation to act with reasonable care towards workers and others, avoiding foreseeable harm and taking reasonable steps to protect their health and safety.

The professional and legal obligation to keep personal health information private, disclosing only with consent or on a lawful, necessary, and proportionate basis.

Voluntary, informed agreement by a worker to examination, testing, or disclosure of health information, obtained after explaining purpose, risks, and consequences of refusal.

Agreement given after a person has received and understood relevant information about a proposed intervention, including its purpose, benefits, alternatives, and potential risks.

Documentation of a worker's clinical history, examinations, and test results, kept securely and separately from personnel files with controlled access and defined retention periods.

The legal requirement to notify specified occupational diseases, injuries, or dangerous occurrences to a designated authority, supporting surveillance and prevention at population level.

A condition listed in legislation as compensable or reportable when arising from specified work exposures, entitling affected workers to assessment for statutory benefits.

Changes to tasks, equipment, hours, or environment that enable a worker with a health condition or disability to perform their job, required where duties make them necessary.

Less favourable treatment of a person because of a disability, or failure to make reasonable adjustments, prohibited in employment by equality legislation.

Coordinated planning and monitoring of an individual's health-related absence or rehabilitation, linking clinician, employer, and worker to achieve timely and sustainable return to work.