Occupational Epidemiology
Overview
Occupational epidemiology involves the application of epidemiologic methods to populations of workers. Occupational epidemiologic studies may involve looking at workers exposed to a variety of chemical, biological or physical (e.g., noise, heat, radiation) agents to determine if the exposures result in the risk of adverse health outcomes. Alternatively, epidemiologic studies may involve the evaluation of workers with a common adverse health outcome to determine if an agent or set of agents may explain their disease.
Standards
There are currently no specific OSHA standards for occupational epidemiology. However, a variety of hazards are addressed in specific OSHA standards for access to employee medical records, recordkeeping, general industry, maritime, and construction.