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Occupational Health Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Occupational Health distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/occupational-health/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Hierarchy of Controls

A systematic framework for selecting the most effective methods to reduce workplace hazards, ranked from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL)

The maximum concentration of a chemical substance or physical agent to which a worker may be exposed over a specified period without experiencing adverse health effects. Common OELs include OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs).

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs)

Injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs caused or aggravated by workplace risk factors such as repetitive motion, forceful exertion, awkward postures, and vibration.

Industrial Hygiene

The science and practice of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling environmental factors or stressors in the workplace that may cause sickness, impaired health, or significant discomfort among workers or community members.

Biological Monitoring

The measurement of hazardous substances or their metabolites in biological specimens (blood, urine, exhaled air) from exposed workers to assess internal dose and health risk, complementing environmental air monitoring.

Total Worker Health (TWH)

A strategy defined by NIOSH that integrates occupational safety and health protection with broader workplace health promotion efforts to prevent worker injury and illness and advance overall well-being.

Occupational Epidemiology

The study of the distribution and determinants of disease and injury in worker populations, using epidemiological methods to identify workplace exposures that cause or contribute to adverse health outcomes.

Ergonomics

The scientific discipline concerned with designing workplaces, tools, tasks, and systems to fit the physical and cognitive capabilities and limitations of workers, thereby reducing injury risk and improving productivity.

Psychosocial Hazards

Aspects of work organization, management, and social conditions that have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm, including excessive workload, lack of control, bullying, job insecurity, and poor work-life balance.

Hazard Communication (HazCom)

A regulatory framework requiring employers to inform workers about the chemical hazards in their workplace through Safety Data Sheets, container labeling, and training programs, aligned with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).

Key Terms at a Glance

ACGIH:American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, a professional organization that publishes Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs) as recommended occupational exposure guidelines.
Biological Exposure Index (BEI):An ACGIH-recommended reference value for evaluating biological monitoring results, representing the level of a determinant most likely observed in specimens from healthy workers exposed at the TLV.
Carcinogen:A substance or agent capable of causing cancer. Occupational carcinogens include asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride, and crystalline silica.
Confined Space:An enclosed area with limited entry and exit that is not designed for continuous worker occupancy and may contain atmospheric hazards such as toxic gases, oxygen deficiency, or explosive atmospheres.
Dose-Response Relationship:The principle that the probability and severity of a health effect increase with the magnitude and duration of exposure to a hazardous agent.
Engineering Controls:Physical modifications to the workplace or equipment designed to eliminate or reduce worker exposure to hazards, such as ventilation systems, machine guards, and sound enclosures.
Epidemiology:The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in populations and the application of this study to control health problems.
Ergonomics:The scientific discipline concerned with designing work systems to optimize human well-being and overall system performance by fitting tasks, tools, and environments to the worker.
Hazard Communication:The regulatory requirement for employers to identify chemical hazards and provide information to workers through labels, Safety Data Sheets, and training.
Health Surveillance:The systematic, ongoing collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data on worker populations to detect early signs of work-related disease and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention programs.
Hearing Conservation Program:An OSHA-required program for workplaces where noise exposure meets or exceeds 85 dBA TWA, including monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protection, training, and recordkeeping.
IARC:International Agency for Research on Cancer, a WHO agency that evaluates and classifies carcinogenic risks to humans using a scale from Group 1 (carcinogenic) to Group 3 (not classifiable).
ILO:International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency that sets international labor standards, promotes rights at work, and develops policies and programs on occupational safety and health.
Industrial Hygiene:The science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling workplace environmental factors that may cause worker illness, impaired health, or significant discomfort.
Job Hazard Analysis (JHA):A systematic method for identifying hazards associated with each step of a job task and determining the best way to reduce or eliminate those hazards before they cause injury.

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Occupational Health Cheat Sheet - Quick Reference Guide | PiqCue