Occupational Health Tech
What is Occupational Health?
OH is a specialist branch of medicine that focuses on “workplace health” this is the effect of work on an employees health, and also an employees health which may affect their ability to work.
Within Occupational Health you typically see Occupational Health Physicians (Doctors) and Occupational Health Nurses. You can also have Occupational Health Advisors and Occupational Health Technicians.
What is an Occupational Health Technician?
An OHT is an individual who works within Occupational Health. There is no need to have a medical qualification. Typically, an OHT will be responsible for the day to day running of Occupational Health Clinics. This may include:
- Audiometry
- Spirometry
- Vision Testing
- Height / Weight / BMI
- Blood Pressures
- Fit for tasks assessment
- Confined space medicals
- Driver Medical
This role is attractive to individuals who have sports science degrees, physiological degrees, experience working in healthcare, ex-military medics, nurses who want to get into Occupational Health but do not want to train in Occupational Health.
Is there a recognised OHT course?
No, many OHT’ s get trained in house. But this means that there is a wide range of standards and quality. The SOM have recently developed a set of competency standards and have a presentation on career pathways.
You can complete accredited external courses in practical skills such as Audiometry / Spirometry.
Register Today
Register your interest on our website. We will share with you any updates from the SOM Special interest group, and any other professional body. We will also publish competency standards, education opportunities, and potentially in the future job opportunities (if this is of interest to you).
Currently this is a volunteer page, but if we have enough interest, we may be able to form an association, have an official register of technicians and maybe even sow the seeds for a regulatory body.