[Can the occupational health physician promote work as a health factor?]

This report answers the question: "In carrying out his/her institutional tasks, can the Occupational Health Physician (MC--medico competente--in Italian) promote work as a health factor?" The answer is in the affirmative, with identification of the social and regulatory framework within which the occupational health physician operates, examples of professional activities directed towards this aim and stressing the fact that the physician requires clinical skills so that he/she can work actively in the process of diagnosis-treatment-rehabilitation of the sick worker. Furthermore technological and organizational knowledge of the enterprise is required together with knowledge of the "social safeguards", that are useful for both the worker and the enterprise that employs him/her. In the current social and regulatory context the occupational health physician can promote work as a health factor both through cooperation in the process of improvement of the workplace, and by actively participating in the most appropriate placement of "frail" workers' (elderly people, disease sufferers, the disabled). It is necessary for the occupational health physician to develop a close working cooperation with the business system to achieve these aims.