ABSTRACT

The assessment of fitness for work is an important problem of all physicians who are interested in working life, but especially workplace doctors. In chronic diseases, after the diagnosis of occupational accidents and occupational diseases and in physiological situations such as pregnancy, it is necessary to evaluate the adaptation and fitness of the workers to the new situation and the working style. After these evaluations, it may be necessary to make changes and arrangements in the working environment and the working style. Health monitoring should be planned specific to the worker for their return to work. Lack of national guidelines and documents on the subject and the field experts’ insufficient knowledge and awareness on occupational health are important limitations. In the examples of good practice, either a special human source trained in fitness for the job or a reference center where more than one discipline works together manages the process. Occupational medicine specialization is a new specialty in Turkey that have been established in 2012. Currently, very few specialists work in the field of occupational disease diagnosis and protection and promotion of workers’ health. One of the most important activities in occupational diseases field is fitness for work assessments. Occupational medicine specialists are experts who are trained to establish the work and health relationship required by occupational health professionals, especially the workplace doctors in the field of fitness for work. They evaluate their medical knowledge and workplace environment factors together while making decisions about workers’ medical follow-up and recommendations for the work environment. In this review, the concept of fitness for work is aimed to be discussed from the perspective of an occupational medicine expert, through country examples, a sample case and recommendations