Occupational Health vs Occupational Therapy: What’s the Difference?

We get a lot of calls from people looking for an occupational therapist. It's an easy mistake to make. Both names start with "occupational", both are about health, and both can involve work. But they are two different professions that do very different jobs.

This guide explains what each one does, who it's for, and how to get the right help first time.

The short answer

Occupational health is about your health at work. It looks at how your job affects your health, and how your health affects your ability to do your job. It's usually arranged and paid for by an employer.

Occupational therapy is about everyday life. It helps people of any age manage daily activities, like washing, dressing, cooking, getting around, going to school or going to work, after an illness, injury or disability, or because of a long-term condition. It's usually accessed through the NHS, your local council, or privately.

A simple way to remember it: occupational health starts with the job. Occupational therapy starts with the person and their daily life.

What is occupational health?

Occupational health (often shortened to OH) is a specialist area of healthcare focused on keeping people healthy, safe and well at work. It works in two directions:

• How work affects health: for example, noise damaging hearing, dust affecting lungs, or vibrating tools causing hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
• How health affects work: for example, whether someone is fit to return after an operation, or what adjustments would help an employee with a long-term condition stay in work.

Occupational health teams are made up of OH nurses, doctors, advisers and technicians. Typical services include:

• Health surveillance: regular checks such as hearing tests (audiometry), lung function tests (spirometry) and HAVS assessments for workers exposed to workplace hazards
• Fitness for work assessments: pre-placement and safety-critical medicals, for example for drivers or people working at height
• Management referrals: independent advice for employers when an employee's health is affecting their work
• Absence management: helping people return to work safely and stay there
• Reasonable adjustments: practical advice for employers under the Equality Act 2010
• Face fit testing: making sure tight-fitting masks protect the people wearing them

Because it's linked to the workplace, occupational health is usually arranged by an employer. If you're an employee and think an occupational health assessment would help you, the best first step is to speak to your manager or HR team.

For employers, the result is a healthier workforce, fewer avoidable absences, clear advice for managers, and confidence that your legal duties around health at work are being met.

What is occupational therapy?

In occupational therapy, "occupation" doesn't mean your job. It means the everyday activities that occupy your time, from making a cup of tea to getting to the shops.

Occupational therapists (OTs) help people of all ages who are having difficulty with everyday tasks. That might be because of a physical disability, recovery from an illness or operation, a learning disability, a mental health condition, or getting older.

An OT might:

• suggest new ways of doing tasks that have become difficult
• recommend equipment, such as grab rails, raised toilet seats or perching stools
• arrange adaptations to a home to make it safer and easier to live in
• help someone rebuild skills and confidence after a stroke or injury
• support children with things like handwriting, play or sensory needs

Occupational therapists in the UK must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). "Occupational therapist" is a protected title, so only people on the HCPC register can use it. The professional body is the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).

Side by side

Where they overlap

There is some common ground. Some occupational therapists specialise in vocational rehabilitation, helping people get back to work after illness or injury. And an occupational health report might recommend changes at work that an OT could help put in place.

The two can work well together, but they start from different places. Occupational health asks: "Is this person fit for this job, and is the job affecting their health?" Occupational therapy asks: "What does this person need to do day to day, and how can we help them do it?"

Which one do you need?

You probably need occupational health if:

• you're an employer and need advice on whether an employee is fit to work or return to work
• your workers are exposed to noise, dust, fumes, chemicals or vibrating tools and need health surveillance
• you need pre-employment or safety-critical medicals
• you want support managing sickness absence

You probably need occupational therapy if:

• you, or someone you care for, need help managing at home after an illness, injury or operation
• you need equipment or adaptations at home
• your child needs support with everyday skills at home or at school
• you're living with a long-term condition that's making daily tasks harder

Looking for an occupational therapist?

ROHS doesn't provide occupational therapy. If that's what you need, here's where to start:

• Your GP can refer you to NHS occupational therapy services.
• Your local council (adult social care or children's services) can assess you for equipment or home adaptations.
• Private occupational therapists can be found through the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. You can check that any OT is registered on the HCPC website.

Looking for occupational health?

That's where we come in. ROHS has been helping employers keep their people healthy, safe and well at work since 1963. As a non-profit, everything we make goes back into our services, not to shareholders.

Our occupational health team carries out health surveillance, medical assessments and absence management support, at our Rochdale centre or on your premises.

To find out more, read What is occupational health?, call us on 01706 648855, or get in touch.

Related reading: Occupational health vs occupational hygiene: what's the difference?