Occupational hazards have plagued human civilisation since time immemorial and much of the progress in making workplaces safer is reflected by, and recorded in, the academic periodicals of environmental and occupational health. As a result, careful examination of these journals provides an interesting record of the field itself, as well as documenting the concerns and issues deemed important by editorial boards and contributors over time.

'Derek Smith has established himself as a pioneer in analyzing the literature of environmental and occupational health. Thanks to his fine work, we may use this resource to understand both the history of EOH for its own sake and the dynamics of publishing in one medium-sized, but largely self-contained, scientific field.'
Tee L. Guidotti