Occupational Health
Services and practices that protect and promote employees' health at work.
Occupational health is the discipline concerned with the physical and mental wellbeing of people in relation to their work. It covers preventing work-related illness and injury, assessing fitness for particular roles, and supporting employees to remain in or return to work.
Employers use occupational health services for pre-employment assessments, workplace risk assessments, management referrals during long-term absence, and advice on reasonable accommodations for health conditions or disabilities.
In Ireland and the EU, occupational health links closely to statutory health and safety duties, which require employers to safeguard workers' welfare. Well-used occupational health support reduces absence, aids fair return-to-work planning and helps meet legal obligations.
