occupational medicine
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Related to industrial medicine: occupational medicine
occupational medicine
n.
The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries occurring at work or in specific occupations.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
occupational medicine
The medical specialty concerned with disease or dysfunction arising in work-related injuries and/or exposure to noxious agents or stimuli; common occupational hazards–eg, asbestos–resulting in pleural plaquing or tumors, noise–hearing loss, solvents, welding fumes, fiberglass–causing upper respiratory irritation and bronchitis and asthma, musculoskeletal dysfunction due to repetitive trauma, heavy metal intoxication, silicosis, toxic hepatitis, dysfunctional mental reactions to the workplace. See NIOSH, OSHA, Postal worker syndrome, Sick building syndrome.McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
occupational medicine
The branch of medicine concerned with people at work and the effects of work on health and of health on the ability to work. It is essentially a branch of preventive or environmental medicine based on a knowledge of working conditions and a concern to detect and remedy work hazards. One of the weapons of occupational medicine is legislation and one of its main preoccupations is to ensure that existing legislation is complied with.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005