ABSTRACT
Occupational hygiene is a dynamic area with new challenges, opportunities and directions. One can consider these in terms of evolving and emerging issues, impacting on the scope of professional practice, relationships with health professionals and the wider community. Occupational hygiene has evolved with the availability of low-cost wearable technology and networked data. The use of mathematical models, apps and exposure databases for risk assessment is becoming more common. The so-called ‘fourth industrial revolution’ involving Big Data, robotics, artificial intelligence and the ‘internet of things’ is also relevant here. Safe Work Australia and CSIRO have recently published a report on workplace safety futures and megatrends. The workforce in many developed countries is ageing and becoming more diverse, with migrant workers and international students representing an important and growing segment.
