ABC of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

by Snashall, David; Patel, Dipti

• ISBN13: 9781444338171
• ISBN10: 144433817X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-01-04
• Publisher: BMJ Books

Summary

The 2003 ABC of Occupational and Environmental Medicine followed the successful ABC of Work-related Diseases published in 1997. Since 1997 there have been huge changes in the world of occupational health. It has become firmly a part of international public health and now, in Britain there is a National Director for Work and Health. Occupational diseases, their distribution, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, dominated the 1997 volume but with better working conditions in the UK at least, these diseases have diminished considerably but they still deserve a mention partly because some of them are still common in other parts of the world and this book was always intended to have an international appeal. The changing world of work, altered attitudes to disability and the realisation, indeed proof, that work is beneficial to health rather than a health hazard has changed our approach to the subject of occupational health. This was reflected in the second volume to some extent with more emphasis on the common diseases of occupation nowadays - stress and mental health problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. The relatively new area of environmental medicine was also covered. This subject is usually poorly covered in textbooks and the four chapters in the 2003 ABC gave a good simple overview. Since then, environmental concerns have mushroomed. A new edition of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is now necessary and would concentrate more on the newer kinds of occupational disease including those (like "RSI" and pesticide poisoning) where exposure and effects are difficult to understand. There would also be specific emphasis on work, health and wellbeing, with links to public health, health promotion, the value of work, disabled people at work, the aging workforce, vocational rehabilitation, evidence based practice, and further chapters on the health effects of climate change and of occupational health and safety in relation to migration and terrorism.

Author Biography

David Snashall, Professor of Occupational Medicine, King’s College London,

Honorary Consultant and Clinical Director, Occupational Health and Safety Services, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

Dipti Patel, Consultant Occupational Health Physician, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London, Director of Clinical Services, Medical Advisory Services for Traveller's Abroad

Table of Contents

Contributors

Preface

1 Hazards of work

David Snashall

2 Health, work and wellbeing

Nerys Williams

3 Assessing the work environment

Keith T. Palmer and David Coggon

4 Practising occupational health

Anil Adisesh

5 Legal aspects

Martyn Davidson

6 Ethics

Paul Litchfield

7 Fitness for work

William Davies

8 Musculoskeletal disorders

Kim Burton and Nicholas Kendall

9 Mental health

Samuel B. Harvey and Max Henderson

10 Occupational dermatoses

Ian R. White

11 Respiratory disorders

Ira Madan and Paul Cullinan

12 Infections

Dipti Patel

13 Occupational cancers

John Hobson

14 Occupational and environmental disorders of uncertain aetiology

Andy Slovak

15 Physical agents

Ron McCaig

16 Ergonomics and human factors

Joanne O Crawford

17Work, genetics and reproduction&

Nicola Cherry

18 The ageing workforce

Sarah Harper

19 Travel for work

Derek R. Smith, Peter A. Leggat and Dipti Patel

20 Emerging occupational and environmental issues: challenges for occupational  health

Judy Sng and David Koh

21 Pollution

Robert Maynard

22 Global health

Paolo Vineis

Index