"""Why I Became an Occupational Physician"" and Other Occupational Health Stories brings together an edited collection of the short articles published in the journal Occupational Medicine between 2002 and 2018. The articles originally appeared as 'fillers', commissioned to literally 'fill' the blank spaces at the end of the main scientific papers, but they soon became a feature in their own right.
Written by doctors working in occupational medicine and health, the fillers began as a series of pieces exploring the varied and often surprising reasons why the individuals chose to pursue this unique speciality, whether it was a natural career move, triggered by a specific event, or stumbled upon by chance. Over time the articles became much broader in their scope and the journal began to attract pieces from some brilliant writers: Mike Gibson, John Challenor, Nerys Williams, and of course the superlative Anthony Seaton, amongst many others.
Each article offers something different: a peek into history, a humorous adventure, a quiet musing, or a thought-provoking observation, but all are tied together under the umbrella of occupational medicine, a speciality that is often little known or understood in the wider world of medicine. This book brings together over 15 years' worth of fascinating and diverse articles into one volume for the first time, giving a rare insight into the world of the occupational physician."
1: Bill Gunnyeon: Why I became an occupational physician... 2: Jean Spencer Felton: Those extra moments 3: Anon: One hundred years of the health and safety laboratory 1 4: A.C. Mackay: Fifty years ago: Raynaud's phenomenon in a pneumatic tool worker 5: Anthony Seaton: Thoughts on lawnmower blades 6: C.A. Veys: Why I became an occupational physician... 7: Graham Hardy: Thackrah's grave 8: Mike Gibson: The celebration of Saint Monday 9: John Hobson: Sócrates 10: Stewart Lloyd: Why I became an occupational physician... 11: Anon: 'Working Lives' by John Darwell 12: J.J.A. Blakely: Fifty years ago: Harmful noise 13: J.A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 1: Solvents 14: Katherine M. Venables: Why I became an occupational physician... 15: G.O. Hughes: Fifty years ago: A mobile consulting room (report on a demonstration given at the Annual Provincial Meeting of the Association, Manchester July 1954) 16: John Challenor: Excellent credit rating 17: Anthony Seaton: Two words and a man 18: John Sorrell: Why I became an occupational physician... 19: Anon: The Hawthorne effect 20: Anon: Fifty years ago: Free enterprise and public service 21: John Hobson: Born to run? 22: Peter Verow: Why I became an occupational physician... 23: L.G. Norman: Fifty years ago: Book review: 'The diseases of occupations' by Donald Hunter 24: Mike Gibson: Health and safety legislation 25: Nerys Williams: How one pre-employment decision nearly changed the world order 26: Susan A. Robson: Why I became an occupational physician... 27: Hanaa Sayed: DDA 1995, 2005, or 605? 28: D. Malcolm: Fifty years ago: The work of the Research Advisory Committee 29: Anthony Seaton: I want never gets 30: David Wright: Why I became an occupational physician... 31: Andy Slovak: Why I became a second-hand bookseller: Part 1 32: J. A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 2: New job 33: John Hobson: The oldest sick note 34: Joseph L. Kearns: Why I became an occupational physician... 35: Andy Slovak: Why I became a second-hand bookseller: part 2 36: W. M. Dixon: Fifty years ago: The first group occupational health service in Scotland 37: Mike Gibson: I learned (a bit) about aviation medicine from that 38: Raymond Agius: Why I became an occupational physician... 39: Naomi Brecker: Occupational health in India 40: John Challenor: A bit like turtles 41: Anthony Seaton: On tenterhooks 42: D. Coggon: Why I became an occupational physician... 43: Naomi Brecker and Barbara Wren: Coming to the end of the road in occupational health: Lessons from cancer care 44: A.W. W. Robinson: Fifty years ago: The medical officer of health and the small workplace 45: John Hobson: The human spirit level 46: R. Ian McCallum: Why I became an occupational physician... 47: David Walker: A close friend 48: J.T. Mets: Occupational hazard of rubber tapping 49: J. A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 3: The Birdman of Linbridge 50: Mike Gibson: Hunting canaries 51: William Dixon: Why I became an occupational physician... 52: James Preston: Why I now watch my step as an occupational physician 53: R. Viner: Fifty years ago: Occupational health: An employer's view 54: Anthony Seaton: Clinical research 55: David Snashall: Why I became an occupational physician... 56: Ken Addley and Paul McKeagney: The RMS Titanic 57: Kenneth Lee: Fifty years ago: Assessment off the ability to work of the unfit 58: Kirstie Gibson: In search of the black stuff 59: John Hobson: Back to school 60: Anthony Seaton: Billy Liddell 61: Ann Fingret: Why I became an occupational physician... 62: B. H. Pentney: Fifty years ago: General practice and industrial medicine in the United States 63: Nerys Williams: Every cloud has a silver lining... even a failed private practice 64: Ralph Aston: Why I became an occupational physician... 65: Mike Gibson: A memorable patient 66: Anthony Seaton: The strange case of Irving Selikoff 67: Morris Cooke: Why I became an occupational physician... 68: Vanessa Hebditch: Why I am doing the GCC again 69: Anon: Fifty years ago: The appointed factory doctor 70: John Hobson: Mesothelioma 71: Ian S. Symington: Why I became an occupational physician... 72: Mike McKiernan: Sydney 2000 73: J. A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 4: Vanadium 74: John Challenor: Directly read 75: Peter Harries: Why I became an occupational physician... 76: Richard Colman: A leaky vessel 77: H. Beric Wright: Fifty years ago: Parameters of occupational health in America 78: Anthony Seaton: More genetics for medical students? 79: Monty Brill: Why I became an occupational physician... 80: Arthur Eakins: Charmed to be sure 81: Mike Gibson: A practical demonstration of Boyle's Law 82: John Hobson: Lest we forget 83: Andy Slovak: Why I became an occupational physician... 84: Sabine Wicker and Paul Grime: Are you ready for the EU Sharps Directive 2010/32/EU? 85: Roy Goulding: Fifty years ago: A poisons information service 86: J. A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 5: Drivers 87: H. Engel: Why I became an occupational physician... 88: John D. Meyer: The ex-servicemen's maternity ward 89: Nerys Williams: Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress 90: Anthony Seaton: Those two impostors 91: Athol Hepburn: Why I became an occupational physician... 92: Hans Engel: An elusive occupational toxin 93: Anon: Fifty years ago: The proposed new constitution 94: John Hobson: Armadillo 95: Tim Carter: Why I became an occupational physician... 96: Desmond O'Neill: Learning from the Vikings: Hávamál and occupational rehabilitation 97: Mike Gibson: Early thoughts on g 98: John Challenor: Employers: Aren't they all the same? 99: Roy Archibald: Why I became an occupational physician ... 100: Syed Nasir: The rewards of rural training in the Scottish Highlands 101: Anon: Fifty years ago: Genesis of a new society 102: Anthony Seaton: The mill reek in 1754 103: Alan Bailey: Why I didn't become an occupational physician... 104: Gordon Shepherd: Time to ditch occupational health 105: B.S. Baker: Fifty years ago: A new portable hand operated external cardiac compressor 106: J. A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 6: Sniffing about 107: Anon: One hundred years of the health and safety laboratory 2 108: John Hobson: All tied up 109: Simon E. Asogwa: Why I became an occupational physician... 110: Paul Grime: Fashion victims 111: Anon: One hundred years of the health and safety laboratory 3 112: Anon: Fifty years ago: Malaises and discontents 113: Clodagh Cashman: Why I became an occupational physician... 114: D. Linn Holness and Gary Liss: The Ontario workplace health champions program 115: Mike Gibson: Going through the motions 116: Anthony Seaton: How to learn science 117: Timothy P. Finnegan: Why I became an occupational physician... 118: Emma Hirons: Hammerfest: Occupational medicine at 70° north 119: R.W. Howell: Fifty years ago: Height, weight, and obesity in an industrial population 120: John Hobson: The raincoat sign 121: W. Glass: Why I became an occupational physician... 122: Karen Coomer: The art of observation 123: Kirstie Gibson: Worst job ads from history: Situation vacant plague doctor 124: David Walker: The adjudicator 125: Anthony Seaton: Stones 126: Peter Verow: Why I became a part-time occupational physician 127: Dorothy Linn Holness: A multidisciplinary clinic for occupational disease 128: Anon: Fifty years ago: The teaching of occupational medicine to undergraduate medical students 129: William R. Jenkinson: Why I became an occupational physician... 130: John Storrs: Jaw ache: An occupational hazard? 131: Nerys Williams: What clinicians should look for in health and lifestyle apps 132: John Hobson: Mellifluous 133: Ira Madan: Why I became an occupational physician... 134: Anon: One hundred years of the health and safety laboratory 4 135: Dianne Baxendine: Slum clinics 136: John Rich: Fifty years ago: Laser hazards 137: Anthony Seaton: A sovereign remedy to all diseases 138: Henry N. Goodall: Why I became an occupational physician... 139: Paul Grime: Fashion victims campaign: Responses from clothing retailers 140: Mike Gibson: What's in a name? 141: J.A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 7: Aromatherapy 142: David Fishwick: Why I became a respiratory physician with an occupational interest 143: Paul Williams: An unusual occupation with novel hazards 144: A. O. Bech, M. D. Kipling, and W. E. Zundel: Fifty years ago: Emery pneumoconiosis 145: John Hobson: Piles 146: Giuliano Franco: Why I became an occupational physician... 147: Eva Baranyiová: Philosophical transactions: 350 years of publishing at the Royal Society 148: Mike Gibson: Occupational histories 149: Anthony Seaton: Risk assessments: good and bad 150: John Aldridge: Why I became an occupational physician... 151: Eric Altschuler: PTSD induced by the trauma of subordinates: The Robert Gates syndrome 152: F. H. Tyrer: Fifty years ago: Problems of a group occupational health service in Lancashire 153: John Challenor: Working in the shadow of a thin blue broken line 154: Jerry Beach: Why I became an occupational physician... 155: Tomoyuki Kawada: New stress check programme in Japan's workplace 156: Anthony Seaton: Jelly beans and jumbo jets 157: Nerys Williams: Society of Occupational Medicine golden jubilee travelling fellowship 2017 158: John Hobson: Shaking all over 159: Robert Willcox: Why I became an occupational physician... 160: Stephen Deacon: Preparing for retirement 161: Anthony Ryle: Fifty years ago: The scope of occupational medicine in a university health service 162: Anthony Seaton: A blue patient and exploding factories 163: Malcolm Gatley: Why I became an occupational physician... 164: Folashade Adenekan: Golden jubilee travel fellowship 2016 165: Mike Gibson: Which way is up? 166: J.A. Hunter: Tales of Kieran: The occupational physician's odyssey 8: The HAVS and the Have Nots 167: David Walker: Don Valley festival champions 168: Ian Reid-Entwistle: Why I became an occupational physician... 169: Timothy Finnegan: Pegasus at Wanlockhead 170: Anon: One hundred years of the health and safety laboratory 5 171: Joan M. Davies: Fifty years ago: Searching for occupational cancer risks 172: John Hobson: Ready, fire, aim! 173: Chris Sharp: Why I became an occupational physician 174: Frank Klont: Demoralization and stress we can all help? 175: Kirstie Gibson: Keeping hat-making alive in Luton 176: Anthony Seaton: The silent killer 177: Joshua Devonport: Why I might become an occupational physician 178: Timo Hannu: Occupational eye hazard of renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini and the recurrent theme of pigeon's blood 179: G.L. Leathart: Fifty years ago: Pulmonary function tests in asbestos workers 180: Mike Gibson: It's not all hot air 181: Douglas Scarisbrick: Why I became an occupational physician... 182: Arun Chind: Visit the workplace? What's wrong with it? 183: Nerys Williams: Why doctors need to be careful with social media 184: Anon: One hundred years of the health and safety laboratory 6 185: John Hobson: I never knew 186: Arun Peter Chind: Why I became an occupational physician... 187: Eric Teasdale: The early working life of one occupational physician in the 1970s 188: Elizabeth Mitchell: Fifty years ago: The shopworker 189: Anthony Seaton: Neurological memories 190: Karen Coomer: Consequences of OH alert syndrome 191: P.J. Taylor: Fifty years ago: Sickness absence resistance 192: Mike Gibson: More hot air 193: Nerys Williams: Internet addiction: Caught in the web 194: John Challenor: Hazard, risk, and a bullet 195: Mike Gibson: Anti-smoking legislation 196: John Garnett: Fifty years ago: Productivity, morale, and occupational medicine 197: John Hobson: Corbett McDonald 198: Anthony Seaton: Shale is here again
John Hobson is a practising consultant occupational physician. He was the honorary Editor of the journal Occupational Medicine between 2002 and 2018. He holds academic appointments in occupational medicine at Keele, Manchester, and Birmingham Universities.
