Health Surveillance
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To enable our Clients to meet their legal obligations to employees and to provide a health assessment baseline for the new and existing employees the following service can be provided. Each employee referred for Monitoring will be recalled in accordance with the Client's Monitoring Policy. The Occupational Health Nursing Manager on conclusion of any agreed programme will submit a summary on the outcome/results by preparation of a full Statistical Report.
The Occupational Health Service will undertake health assessments of employees likely to be exposed to significant levels of noise as defined by risk (noise) assessments. This will include completion of a Hearing Questionnaire and an audiometric test. These assessments will be carried out at the pre-employment/pre-placement screening and then at defined intervals thereafter in accordance with Client's Hearing Conservation Programme. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Hand Arm Vibration Assessment (Top) The Occupational Health Service will undertake assessments of employees exposed to significant levels of vibration, as determined by Client's risk assessment procedure. The assessments will be carried out at the pre-employment/pre-placement screening and then annually thereafter in accordance with HSE guidelines and the need to report certain outcomes. Sessional or seasonal employees will be paper screened by means of HAV's Assessment Questionnaire. Depending on the results of the completed questionnaire, employees may require to attend occupational health for a clinical examination. The initial assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Regulation 5 of the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 states, that where a "designated user" experiences visual difficulties which may reasonably be considered to be caused by work on display screen equipment, his employer shall ensure that he is provided at his request with an appropriate eye and eyesight test. The Occupational Health Service will assist the Client to meet its statutory requirements in this respect by conducting or overseeing regular eye tests and examinations of employees referred to them for this purpose in accordance with the above regulations. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 20 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be arranged with an Optician depending on the assessment outcome.
Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driver Medicals (Top) The Occupational Health Service will undertake medical assessments of relevant employees as required by the Motor Vehicle (Driving Licence) Regulations 1996. This will ensure that an employee is fit to undertake
driving duties and that the individual has no physical abnormality nor disease
which would incapacitate him/her temporarily or permanently, and as a
consequence of undertaking these duties, would not seriously endanger the lives
of passengers, employees or others. The assessment will be conducted by the Occupational Health Physician and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) Driver Medicals (Top) The Occupational Health Service will undertake medical assessments of relevant employees as required by the Motor Vehicle (Driving Licence) Regulations 1996. This will ensure that an employee is fit to undertake driving duties and that the individual has no physical abnormality or disease which would incapacitate him/her temporarily or permanently and as a consequence of undertaking these duties would not seriously endanger the lives of passengers or employees in the working environment. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Guidance contained in Appendix 2, of the HSE publication 'Safety in Working with Lift Trucks' ISBN 0 7176 1781 5, recommends that all FLT operators, occasional and regular users, be screened for fitness before and during employment. To comply with this recommendation each operator can be medically assessed for fitness by the Occupational Health Service. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Vocational Driver Assessments (Top) Although not always a legal requirement, it is good practice to refer all Client Drivers for assessment by the Occupational Health Service to determine their fitness to drive. e.g. any individual who undertakes regular driving as part of his/her normal duties i.e. vans, mobile plant, crane driver, tractors, excavators, tipper trucks, road rollers etc. This will help ensure that an employee has no physical abnormality or disease which would incapacitate him/her temporarily or permanently and as a consequence of undertaking these duties would not seriously endanger the lives of passengers or employees in the working environment. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the
Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Surveillance Programmes are mandatory in the UK under Regulation 11 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 1999 where these regulations apply. Other, less specific, legislation can also apply to personnel who may be exposed to the risk of respiratory illness e.g. exposure to dust, gases and vapours. Certain illnesses resulting from these have to be reported to the enforcing authority and records kept for significant periods (40 years). The Occupational Health Service can undertake assessments of employees deemed exposure prone as defined by risk assessments. This will include completion of a hazard exposure questionnaire and a clinical examination at the start of employment. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Health Assessments for Night Workers (Top) The Occupational Health Service can undertake health assessments for designated employees in accordance with the Working Time Regulations 1998. The offer of an assessment must be made prior to the start of employment and at regular intervals thereafter in line with the Client's Monitoring Policy. An initial paperscreen using Questionnaire OH/HQ/07 will form the basis of the assessment. The Occupational Physician depending on the paperscreen outcome may require to conduct a Medical Examination of the employee.
Working with Lead Medicals (Top) The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1998 impose requirements for the protection of employees who may be exposed to lead at work and for other people who may come into contact with such work. They apply to any work from which lead arises in the form: (a) of lead dust, fume or vapour which is liable to be
inhaled; The work includes any type of activity including the handling, movement, storage, processing, disposal, repair and maintenance of lead. It is considered vital that all employees who work with lead be referred for frequent health assessments at occupational health.
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees. Under Regulation 3 of The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 the employer is required to assess the risks to workers and any others who may be affected by their undertaking and record the significant findings of that assessment. A good risk assessment should include consideration of the persons undertaking the task and working at heights is a particularly good example of this. It is strongly advised that employees who work at heights are referred to the Occupational Health Service for assessment of their fitness to safely work at heights. The purpose of such an assessment is to ensure the employee does not have any medical condition which could result in injury to themselves or others while working at heights i.e. risk of falling etc. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Legislation making reference to skincare include: -
Each Client should conduct a risk assessment to identify potential hazards to health including skin disease, arising from exposure to chemical substances, biological or other agents. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Although there is no general legal prohibition on working alone, the broad duties of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the more specific requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 still apply. These require identifying hazards of the work, assessing the risks involved and putting measures in place to avoid or control the risks. The purpose of conducting a medical assessment of lone workers is to ensure they do not have a medical condition which could expose them to a higher degree of risk while working alone i.e. heart condition, epilepsy etc. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
Most of the legal restrictions on employment of young persons have long since been revoked by the Employment Act 1989 or have been incorporated into Regulation 3(4) the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This is primarily concerned with the protection of young persons who are in an occupation which is viewed as potentially damaging to their health. The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that all persons under the age of 18 are physically and mentally fit/mature to undertake their assigned duties. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome.
New and Expectant Mothers (Top) Under Regulation 16 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 employers are required to carry out a specific risk assessment where women of childbearing age or new expectant mothers may be at risk from a work process, working condition or physical, chemical or biological agent. The assessment will be conducted by the nursing staff and shall last for approximately 30 minutes consisting of: -
A further examination may be required by the Occupational Physician depending on the assessment outcome. |
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