ABSTRACT
Occupational history is a chronological account of all the jobs a person has had since he or she entered the work force. It includes exposures, use of protective equipment, and hygiene practices. The aims and methods used for the documentation of an occupational history and present employment should not be confused with available methods of occupational analysis and vocational training. The publication Occupational Outlook Handbook, published every year by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, contains a Dictionary of Occupational Titles and a Statistical Occupational Classification. In environmental and occupational neurotoxicology, assessment of human dose is made by essentially two types of data: measurements of environmental levels of chemical compounds and exposure estimates abstracted from the occupational history. The spouse’s occupation is often overlooked, but the interviewee may suffer bystander toxic exposure, bystander exposure to pesticides, and lead, leading to illness or even death.
