ABSTRACT
The origins of contemporary occupational stress exposure standards are founded upon a knowledge of the characteristics and limitations of different facets of the human physiological system. The study of such processes and responses has traditionally fallen within the realm of occupational health and safety. Together, the ergonomist, the safety specialist, and those in occupational medicine have sought to enact standards which protect the individual worker against physiological damage. This perspective directly accords with the early nature of industrial work, where the principal demand was for physical effort. In essence, the currency of heavy industrial work was physiological effort. However, contemporary commercial work demands have changed from largely physical to largely cognitive requirements. Despite this fundamental change, current stress standards are still based upon assumptions principally concerning physiological detriment. Unfortunately, this is now insufficient as a basis for a full exposure standard for the larger spectrum of contemporary work.
