Occupational Health and Wellbeing Flashcards
7 cards from real IOSH practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Occupational Health and Wellbeing flashcards as text
What is presenteeism in the context of occupational health and why is it considered a significant business risk?
Answer: Employees attending work while unwell, resulting in reduced productivity and potentially spreading illness
Presenteeism — working while unwell — is estimated to cost UK businesses more than absenteeism because productivity losses and the risk of spreading illness are often underestimated and harder to measure.
What is an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and what does it typically provide?
Answer: A confidential support service providing counselling, advice, and referral services for personal or work-related problems
An EAP is a confidential, employer-funded service that provides employees with professional support — including counselling, legal advice, and financial guidance — for a range of personal and work-related issues.
When a GP issues a 'Statement of Fitness for Work' (fit note) in the UK, which of the following outcomes is possible?
Answer: The employee may be assessed as unfit for work OR fit for work with specified adjustments such as altered hours or amended duties
Since 2010, fit notes allow GPs to advise that an employee 'may be fit for work' with adjustments (phased return, amended duties, altered hours, or workplace adaptations), supporting earlier and safer return to work.
What does a thorough workplace wellbeing programme typically include to address the mental health of employees?
Answer: A combination of organisational interventions (e.g. workload management), targeted support (e.g. EAP), and individual tools (e.g. resilience training)
Effective mental health programmes operate at three levels: primary (tackling root causes in the organisation), secondary (early intervention and support), and tertiary (rehabilitation), rather than relying on any single measure.
How should an organisation measure whether its occupational health and wellbeing programme is effective?
Answer: By tracking leading and lagging indicators such as sickness absence rates, employee engagement scores, health surveillance outcomes, and early intervention referrals
Effective measurement combines lagging indicators (e.g. sickness absence, ill-health retirement) with leading indicators (e.g. engagement scores, early referral rates) to give a complete picture of programme impact.
Which of the following best describes the role of a qualified occupational health practitioner (such as an occupational health nurse or physician)?
Answer: To provide independent, impartial health advice to both the employer and employee to facilitate safe, productive work
Occupational health practitioners provide independent and impartial advice, maintaining confidentiality of medical information while supporting both the employer's need to manage the business and the employee's right to health and privacy.
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), which of the following occupational diseases must be reported to the HSE?
Answer: Specified occupational diseases such as occupational dermatitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and occupational asthma confirmed by a doctor
RIDDOR 2013 requires employers to report specific occupational diseases (Schedule 3 diseases) where a doctor confirms the diagnosis and the disease is linked to specified work activities.