ABSTRACT
With increasing frequency over the past decade or so, both occupational medical specialists and non-specialists alike have been called upon by plant managers, industrial hygienists, safety personnel, and others to perform on-site visits to the workplace as part of their routine medical duties. These visits are commonly called workplace or plant walk-throughs. Despite some official precedents stipulating that the physician must be familiar with the physical work environment, many physicians find themselves to be unprepared or insecure in assuming such responsibilities, because of inexperience, minimal training, or fear that they have little to offer. Some physicians, moreover, do not fully understand the manner in which their contributions and observations can be utilized in the development and management of the overall occupational health program. It is not uncommon for industrial hygiene, safety, and management personnel to embark independently from the physician to establish a program of occupational safety and health.
