Rank: Forum user 
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Can anyone give me a clear description of the difference between occupational hygiene and occupational health?
Mohamed
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Rank: Super forum user
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As far as I am aware there is no difference--Occupational hygiene was also referred to as "Industrial Hygiene" .
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Whilst related, there are differences.
Occ Hygiene is concerned with the recognition, measurement and control of risks presented by physical (eg radiation, noise), chemical (eg metal fume, benzene) and biological (legionella, fungus) agents at work, as well as touching on a bit of ergonomics, behavioural and environmental science.
Occ health is dealing with the health effects of all this, including monitoring (lung function, blood tests etc), diagnosis, advice and some treatment.
Perhaps Occ hygiene may be described as the science with Occ Health the medical interventions.
That's my take on it anyway; others will have better explanations I'm sure.
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Rank: Forum user
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thanks Jay.
David, very comprehensive, thanks a mill.
Mohamed
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Rank: Super forum user 
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David where did you get these defintions from or are they just your opinions?
I can find no mention of this on the BOHS site.
IMHO - they are one and the same thing.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Pikeman, they're my opinions and I suggest that they are not the same thing.
For example, a competent occupational hygienist will not claim to have skills in administering audiometry nor will they be able to do much regarding return to work assessments.
Neither would an occupational health specialist be expected to measure and interpret the concentration of anaesthetic gas in a hospital operating theatre, nor vibrations nor provide advice regarding noise control.
They are distinct specialisms and whilst there will be people who have skills, qualifications and abilities in both disciplines, it is not always the case.
I claim a good level of theoretical knowledge of Occ Hygiene (my practical skills are rusty) but very little about Occ Health.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I can see what David is getting at.
Look at these (possible) definitions
hygiene - conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease
(so, Occ Hygiene - recognise the risks and control them)
health - a person's mental or physical condition
(so, Occ Health - what you can do to monitor the state of health)
John
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Rank: Super forum user
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I am a occupational hygienist, also known as industrial hygienist, I am most definately not an occupational health 'nurse' or physician.
The training and qualifications of the two are very different, whilst both look to protect the health of the work, they do it in 2 very different ways, as mentioned above one measure the work environment (asbestos, noise...) one measures the worker (respirometry, audiomentry).
The definition on the BOHS web page does though state:
Occupational hygienists get involved at the interface of people and their workplaces. Eliminating occupational health risks.
Occupational health is a medical consultation conducted by an Occupational Health nurse or physician, but with other interactions and interventions too, return to work, worker medical screening and surveilance, advice on lifestyle and wellbeing
Des
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Rank: Super forum user
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As usual, when we try to create definite boundaries between different professions we encounter a problem. I agree that occupational hygiene and occupational health are different disciplines. However, I will argue that there are overlaps and that there are no distinct boundaries between these two disciplines (and as I hope to show, several others).
The hygienist will try to ensure that the working environment does not cause damage to the health of those present. Whilst ins some aspects he can measure and work to specified (regulatory) limits, this is not always the case. For example, there are no exposure limits for skin nor, as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has stated, no validated, practical techniques for skin exposure measurement. Does this matter? Consider what Einstein once said: "Not everything that can be measured counts, but not everything that counts can be measured."
What the hygienist will then need is some knowledge of occupational health issues in order to decide whether what he or she finds in that workplace is acceptable. Equally the occupational health practitioner will need some understanding of occupational hygiene issues in order to be able to establish, for example, the possibility of someone returning to work or what has caused that skin problem. And both may need the support or other disciplines (toxicologist, immunologist, chemist, etc.). In my own work I function sometimes in an occupational hygiene mode, sometimes in an occupational health mode, also involved with dermatology, immunology, toxicology etc., even using an engineering background to help resolve an exposure issue or a psychologist when dealing with a stress related skin issue. The key is knowing who has the specialist knowledge in any particular situation to help me resolve the situation. So what label will you tie on me and does it matter? The main question is for me how we all contribute to making that workplace a safe and healthy place to be.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user
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Chris, you could be Guru Derma.
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Rank: Guest
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chris.packham wrote:As usual, when we try to create definite boundaries between different professions we encounter a problem. I agree that occupational hygiene and occupational health are different disciplines. However, I will argue that there are overlaps and that there are no distinct boundaries between these two disciplines (and as I hope to show, several others).
The hygienist will try to ensure that the working environment does not cause damage to the health of those present. Whilst ins some aspects he can measure and work to specified (regulatory) limits, this is not always the case. For example, there are no exposure limits for skin nor, as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has stated, no validated, practical techniques for skin exposure measurement. Does this matter? Consider what Einstein once said: "Not everything that can be measured counts, but not everything that counts can be measured."
What the hygienist will then need is some knowledge of occupational health issues in order to decide whether what he or she finds in that workplace is acceptable. Equally the occupational health practitioner will need some understanding of occupational hygiene issues in order to be able to establish, for example, the possibility of someone returning to work or what has caused that skin problem. And both may need the support or other disciplines (toxicologist, immunologist, chemist, etc.). In my own work I function sometimes in an occupational hygiene mode, sometimes in an occupational health mode, also involved with dermatology, immunology, toxicology etc., even using an engineering background to help resolve an exposure issue or a psychologist when dealing with a stress related skin issue. The key is knowing who has the specialist knowledge in any particular situation to help me resolve the situation. So what label will you tie on me and does it matter? The main question is for me how we all contribute to making that workplace a safe and healthy place to be.
Chris
BRILLIANT!!!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Rank: Forum user
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this debate was so useful, thank you all
Mohamed
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