Abstract

Traditional occupational health risk assessment (OHRA) predominantly evaluates hazards within discrete workplaces, often neglecting upstream and downstream occupational exposures embedded within complex global supply chains. This paper advances the concept of Lifecycle Environmental Risk Assessment (LERA) as an integrative framework that systematically incorporates occupational health impacts across the full lifecycle of products and processes. By synthesizing principles from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental risk assessment, and occupational health risk assessment, LERA enables quantification of cumulative worker health burdens using harmonized impact metrics such as Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Through a structured thematic synthesis of existing methodologies, this study develops a conceptual LERA architecture that integrates exposure modeling, characterization factors, lifecycle inventory data, and precautionary design strategies. Comparative analysis demonstrates that LERA mitigates impact shifting, enhances upstream hazard identification, and supports prevention-through-design decision-making. While implementation challenges remain particularly regarding data harmonization, supply-chain transparency, and uncertainty modeling, LERA provides a strategic, systems-level approach to occupational health protection aligned with sustainable development principles. The framework offers both methodological advancement and policy relevance, promoting a transition from reactive compliance-based safety models toward proactive, lifecycle-informed occupational health governance.