MFOM Written flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Pre-placement health assessment
- A pre-employment assessment determining whether a worker can perform the job safely and whether adjustments are needed; it should not screen for unrelated conditions.
- Health surveillance definition
- A system of regular health checks for workers exposed to a specific hazard, used when risk remains after controls and a valid detection method exists.
- Noise notch audiogram
- A characteristic dip in hearing threshold at 3–6 kHz on audiometry, typical of noise-induced hearing loss, often with recovery at 8 kHz.
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome
- A condition from prolonged hand-transmitted vibration causing vascular white finger attacks and/or sensorineural symptoms; it is assessed using the Stockholm scale.
- Irritant contact dermatitis
- Non-immune skin inflammation caused by direct chemical damage; it is common in wet work and often improves when exposure is removed.
- Biological monitoring
- Measurement of a substance or its metabolite in biological samples such as urine or blood, indicating total uptake from all exposure routes.
- Fit note categories
- UK fit note options: fit for work; may be fit for work with suggested adjustments; or not fit for work, with the duration stated.
- Workplace exposure limit
- A UK occupational exposure limit expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average or a 15-minute reference period, set to protect workers from hazardous substances.
- Asbestos latency period
- Asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma typically develop 15–40 years after first exposure; there is no safe threshold and all exposure should be avoided.
- Organophosphate poisoning
- Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase causes a cholinergic syndrome with salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhoea, bronchospasm, bradycardia and miosis; treat with atropine and pralidoxime.
- Lead toxicity mechanism
- Lead inhibits enzymes in haem synthesis including ALAD and ferrochelatase, causing anaemia, neurodevelopmental effects and hypertension; biological monitoring guides control.
- Noise action values
- UK lower exposure action value is 80 dB(A) daily and 135 dB(C) peak; upper is 85 dB(A) and 137 dB(C); hearing protection zones apply at upper values.
- Hand-arm vibration EAV
- The daily exposure action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8); the exposure limit value is 5 m/s² A(8), above which workers must not be exposed.
- Sensitising isocyanates
- Highly reactive chemicals used in paints and foams that can cause occupational asthma; exposure should be controlled and health surveillance with spirometry considered.
- Equality Act disability
- A disability is a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal daily activities; employers must make reasonable adjustments.
- COSHH record retention
- Records of health surveillance and exposure for hazardous substances must be kept for at least 40 years where they relate to substances causing occupational disease.
- RIDDOR over-seven-day injury
- An injury that keeps a worker away from normal duties for more than seven consecutive days must be reported to the HSE under RIDDOR 2013.
- Occupational health confidentiality
- OH health information is special category data; it should be disclosed to managers only with consent, in fitness-focused terms, or where law requires.
- Competent person duty
- Employers must appoint competent persons to assist with health and safety, with sufficient knowledge, training and experience for the task.
- Duty to make reasonable adjustments
- Employers must take reasonable steps to remove disadvantage caused by a disabled worker's impairment, such as altering hours, equipment or duties.
- WHO ICF model
- A biopsychosocial framework describing health in terms of impairment, activity limitation and participation restriction, influenced by environmental and personal factors.
- Yellow flags
- Psychological and social factors such as fear-avoidance beliefs, catastrophising and work dissatisfaction that predict poor recovery and long-term work disability.
- Functional capacity evaluation
- A structured assessment of a worker's physical and functional abilities against job demands, used to guide rehabilitation and return-to-work decisions.
- Ill-health retirement criteria
- Permanent incapacity to perform the job because of ill health, after considering reasonable adjustments and rehabilitation; pension scheme rules determine eligibility.
- Graded return to work
- A planned increase in hours or duties over time, with temporary adjustments, to help a worker re-enter work safely after illness or injury.
- Safety-critical fitness
- Assessment for roles where impairment could cause major harm, covering conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, vision and substance misuse against regulatory standards.
- Incidence versus prevalence
- Incidence is the number of new cases in a period divided by population at risk; prevalence is all existing cases at a point or period divided by population.
- Case-control study
- A study comparing past exposures in people with a disease to controls without it; it estimates odds ratios and is useful for rare diseases.
- Healthy worker effect
- A selection bias in occupational cohorts where employed people are healthier than the general population, reducing observed mortality and biasing comparisons.
- Standardised mortality ratio
- SMR equals observed deaths divided by expected deaths, multiplied by 100; values above 100 indicate more deaths than expected.
- Bradford Hill criteria
- A set of considerations for causal inference including strength, consistency, temporality, plausibility, dose-response and experiment; none alone is sufficient.
- Screening test sensitivity
- The proportion of people with disease correctly identified by a test; high sensitivity reduces false negatives and is useful when missing disease is costly.