What is Occupational Health?
- Insight Workplace Health
- Jan 19, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 27
Occupational health focuses on how work affects employee health and how health impacts a person’s ability to work. It helps employers create safer workplaces, reduce health risks, and support employees with medical or well-being concerns.
Businesses are legally required to prevent work-related ill health, and occupational health services provide the assessments, guidance, and interventions needed to meet these responsibilities.
Occupational health services cover everything from health surveillance and workplace risk assessments to sickness absence management and medical screenings. Whether an employee needs support returning to work after illness or a company wants to ensure a safe environment, occupational health plays a key role in keeping workplaces productive and compliant.
Key takeaways
Occupational health ensures workplace safety and employee wellbeing by preventing work-related illnesses, supporting employees with health concerns, and helping businesses meet legal responsibilities.
Employers benefit from reduced absence, improved productivity, and compliance with health and safety regulations through occupational health services like health surveillance, absence management, and mental health support.
Getting started with an occupational health provider is simple—businesses can assess their needs, set up a contract, and begin employee health assessments with ongoing support from a trusted provider. Contact us now to get started.
Table of contents
How do Occupational Health Services work?
An occupational health service consists of various activities designed to help you and your employer manage health and work.
The Occupational Health Services is staffed by:
A team of doctors (Occupational Health Physicians or OHPs)
Nurses (Occupational Health Advisers or OHAs)
Technicians experienced and/or qualified in Occupational Medicine , and
Screening Nurses.
There is an administrative team who arrange appointments, process reports and other information and liaise closely with your employer’s Human Resources and Health and Safety Departments on a day-to-day basis.
Why might someone be referred to Occupational Health?
Employees may be referred to occupational health for several reasons:
New job health checks – After being offered a job, you may need to complete an on-employment questionnaire. If any concerns arise, further assessment may be required.
Sickness absence – If you've been off sick, your employer may need to understand the reason, how long you'll be off, and when or whether you can return.
Health concerns at work – Even if you're not off sick, your employer may need to check if a health condition is affecting your ability to do your job.
Frequent absences – If you've had multiple short absences, your employer may want to understand the cause and explore ways to improve your attendance.
Exposure to workplace hazards – Some jobs involve exposure to harmful substances or hazardous activities, such as working at heights, driving, or operating machinery. Regular health checks ensure you remain fit for work and aren't being harmed by your job.
The benefits of Occupational Health
Occupational health services play a vital role in creating a safer and more productive workplace. Here’s how they benefit both employers and employees:
Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
Employers have a legal duty to protect employees from work-related health risks. Occupational health services help businesses meet regulations, reducing the risk of legal action and fines.
Preventing work-related illness and injury
Regular health assessments help identify risks before they lead to serious health problems. This protects employees from conditions caused by workplace hazards.
Improved employee wellbeing and engagement
A strong occupational health strategy fosters a culture of care. When employees feel supported, job satisfaction and engagement increase, leading to better morale and retention.
Reducing absence and supporting return to work
By addressing health concerns early, occupational health helps prevent long-term absences. It also provides guidance on how employees can safely return to work after illness or injury.
Investing in occupational health benefits everyone, ensuring a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce.
Find out more about what an occupational health assessment is.
What services can occupational health businesses offer?
There is a wide range of occupational health services available. Each one is dedicated to supporting your business and employees in their own individual way:
Helps businesses address and reduce sickness absence, ensuring employees receive the right support to return to work safely.
Required for employees exposed to workplace risks like noise, chemicals, or dust, helping businesses comply with legal health and safety obligations.
Increasingly essential in workplaces to manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges that affect employee wellbeing and productivity.
Important for safety-critical industries where impairment could pose serious risks, such as transport, construction, and manufacturing.
Ensures new hires are fit for their roles and helps employers identify any necessary workplace adjustments.
Critical for industries where employees are exposed to health risks, such as healthcare and frontline services.
Supports employees who can no longer work due to medical conditions, helping them access pensions or other benefits while ensuring employers follow legal procedures.
Ensures employees working night shifts remain fit, reducing the risk of long-term health issues associated with night work, as required by the Working Time Regulations.
Helps prevent musculoskeletal disorders by ensuring employees using display screen equipment (e.g., computers) have an ergonomic workstation setup, improving comfort and productivity.
Essential for high-risk roles (e.g., construction, rail, and manufacturing), these medicals assess whether employees are physically and mentally fit to perform safety-critical tasks.
Discover our full list of Employee Health Services for more information.
How do you get started with an Occupational Health provider?
Getting started with an occupational health provider is straightforward. Firstly, determine what occupational health services your business requires by contacting us. This could include health surveillance, absence management, or mental health support.
Once we've helped you outline the services you'll need, we'll establish a contract outlining the services, pricing, and ongoing support. We can then start scheduling assessments, medicals, or employee referrals based on your organisation’s needs.
At Insight Workplace Health, we offer continuous support, helping you manage employee health and ensure compliance with regulations.
Work with Insight Workplace Health
Insight Workplace Health is a national multidisciplinary occupational health provider. We support employers by helping to keep people safe and well whilst at work.
Looking to refer one of your employees or find out more about any of our services? Contact us, or call us on 01792 321010.
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