Life's work: occupational health — the wealth of the nation

> ‘When a doctor arrives to attend some patient of the working class he ought not to feel his pulse the moment he enters, as is nearly always done without regard to the circumstances of the man who lies sick … I may venture to add one more question: What occupation does he follow?’1 It is estimated that 60% of the working populations' waking life is consumed by work. Work and health are symbiotically interweaved. A patient's health affects their ability to get a job and to retain it. In Britain, 7.5% of the population receive incapacity benefit, and worklessness itself is strongly linked to elevated risk of morbidity and social inequality. Individuals bring their burdens, aspirations, and vulnerabilities to the workplace. In turn, the work milieu itself is a major influence on life outside the hours of employment. Occupation can also be associated with hazards that can produce disease and injury and up to 38% of patients attending for consultations in primary care report an occupational dimension to their condition.2 Occupational medicine builds on a framework of general medicine and requires awareness of industrial hygiene, epidemiology, toxicology, and health and safety legislation, but paramount …