special subjects
Overview of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Evaluation of the Worker
When a worker is injured or becomes ill, OEM doctors try to determine whether the injury or illness is work-related or related to something in the environment. So doctors ask the worker questions designed to determine what led to the problem, such as: Where the injury or possible exposure occurred What the worker was doing when injured or became ill Doctors may suspect a work-related cause, for example, if a person suddenly develops an unexpected illness that has no other clear non–work-related cause. Doctors may also suspect a work-related cause if a group of workers develop similar problems. In that case, doctors also ask managers whether other workers have similar symptoms. For example, if several workers from the same building report headache, nausea, and vomiting, they may have been exposed to carbon monoxide. Doctors may ask workers who have similar symptoms or who do not have symptoms but work in the same area as the worker being evaluated and may ask members of the community about any symptoms they have. This information can help doctors determine what chemicals or other exposures are causing symptoms among workers and others that have or may have had similar exposures. This information can help doctors determine whether the illness is work-related or not. 