Occupational and environmental physicians are medical professionals specialised in the field of occupational health and environmental medicine. They focus on the health and wellbeing of workers in the context of their work environment.

Occupational and environmental physicians apply high-level medical skills to the interface between people’s work and their health. For an individual worker/patient, this may mean seeking evidence for the work-relatedness of a disease, assisting with returning to work after injury or illness, or assessing fitness for safety-critical or other work. For groups of workers, this may mean working to prevent or reduce known harmful exposures, research on the effects of exposures or clusters of adverse health effects, health surveillance, or promotion of physical and mental wellbeing in workplaces.

Occupational and environmental physicians consider the interactions between people’s health and their environment, and the role of the environment in causing or affecting disease.

As medical specialists, occupational and environmental physicians possess knowledge of harmful exposures, laws that bear on exposure control and employment opportunity, and how to use their influence within organisations to prevent work-related afflictions and to promote wellbeing. These abilities serve workers and can assist the work of other medical practitioners and occupational health professionals. The trends in the changing nature of work, including a higher proportion of precarious and flexible working arrangements (e.g. part-time, casual, and contract work) and home-based work, may bring new challenges to occupational and environmental physicians in their future practice. 

Occupational and environmental physicians provide person-centred care to individuals, workers, groups, communities, and homogenous populations that may be exposed to occupational and/or environmental hazards and risks. Services may also be provided to governmental and non-governmental agencies and companies, including those within a medicolegal setting. This curriculum uses the term worker/patient to refer to the recipients of this care. Occupational and environmental physicians use research and evidence in medical care, service development, and quality improvement, and to inform areas of uncertainty.

Occupational and environmental physicians have skills and expertise to contribute across a variety of areas, including:

diagnosing, managing and accessing the causation of diseases and injuries in relation to occupation and environmental factors

assessing the health and fitness of workers for specific jobs or tasks

advocating for the protection and promotion of workers' physical and mental health and wellbeing

developing, interpreting and applying medical standards for occupations

coordinating and managing occupational and environmental health and safety programs, including the delivery of occupational health services, health surveillance, health promotion and drug and alcohol testing programs in collaboration with other health professionals

conducting workplace and preliminary environmental assessments in order to recognise, evaluate and control physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial hazards

coordinating and facilitating return to work and rehabilitation programs for injured or ill workers

providing expert advice to workers, employers, regulators, and insurers on the relationship between work and illness and injuries

advising on the health effects of physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial and ergonomic hazards in workplaces and measures to control them

providing advice and education on occupational and environmental health issues to workers, employers, regulators and the public

advising on the effect of major contemporary health issues in workplaces

conducting research and contributing to the evidence base on occupational and environmental health topics.

Occupational and environmental physicians work flexibly across a variety of settings, including:

  • Non-hospital settings

    Occupational and environmental physicians deliver clinical services largely outside hospital-type settings. These are mostly privately operated, either by individual physicians or larger companies who employ occupational and environmental physicians.

  • Office-based settings

    Occupational and environmental physicians who work for small to large organisations are usually office-based and provide more strategic and administrative support to organisations.

  • Research and training settings

    Occupational and environmental physicians can gain further development of medical evidence in occupational and environmental medicine. Occupational and environmental physicians may work within university departments and research positions within governmental and non-governmental organisations.

  • Complex settings

    Occupational and environmental physicians are comfortable with complex health issues and working in uncertainty.

Occupational and environmental physicians provide leadership with a focus on strong integrity, communication, respect, and advocacy, in the management of occupational health services and as an integral part of multidisciplinary teams.

Last modified: Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 3:49 PM