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Faculty of Occupational Medicine

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About the Faculty

The Faculty of Occupational Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland is the national professional and training body for occupational medicine in Ireland, working to ensure the highest standards in health at work.

Who We Are

We are accredited by the Medical Council of Ireland and are proud to meet the strict standards required to deliver postgraduate specialist training in occupational medicine.

Established in 1976, we are one of six postgraduate specialist training bodies based in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. We have over 500 Members, all of whom are experienced consultant occupational physicians and leading experts in their field.

Occupational therapist works with patient

What We Do

Occupational medicine is a clinical medical specialty that deals with the interface between work and health.

Occupational physicians combine their knowledge of basic science (for example, noise exposure and its effects on hearing, radiation exposure and toxicology) with an understanding of legal issues surrounding workplace safety and employment equality. A clear insight into how business works and what constitutes good management is also essential.

Occupational medicine involves preventative programmes such as immunisations, health surveillance (for example, audiology for noise exposure), rehabilitation of workers with an illness or disability, and advising organisations (governmental and business) on how to best optimise the health of their most important asset, their employees.

Occupational medicine also has various subspecialties, such as diving medicine and aviation medicine.