Health Surveillance
Are you legally obliged to surveillance your workers health?
Health surveillance is the process of monitoring your employees health over time. Illness and death can occur as a result of exposure to harmful materials in the workplace.
Harmful materials include things like noise, fumes, dust and other substances. It’s important to know whether you have a legal obligation to protect your workers. If you’re unsure, you’ll need to do a risk assessment. Or maybe you already have systems in place, but you want to improve them. Whatever your health surveillance needs, Work Safe Occupational Medicine can help.
How does a workplace risk assessment work?
Your company may not be in a particularly industrial field. But that doesn’t mean health surveillance doesn’t apply to your employees. Workplace risk assessment can eliminate or reduce risk in your workplace. Types of assessment will differ depending on your industry and environment. In some cases a basic visual and physical assessment will be enough. Other times, the assessor may need to penetrate surfaces with a drill. Some examples of the most dangerous chemicals to look for include:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Arsenic
- Vanadium
A workplace assessment determines whether harmful substances are below the accepted level. But if there is danger present, you’ll need to enforce a health monitoring program.
What is the employee health monitoring testing process?
Different industries require different types of health surveillance tests. These tests are similar to standard workplace medicals. The main difference is that health surveillance tests are ongoing. Just like standard medicals, surveillance tests consist of various components. This includes a questionnaire, medical history and physical tests such as:
- Spriometry
- Audiometry
- Biochemical
A health surveillance system keeps a record of every test that an employee does. The employee’s results are then able to be securely accessed, tracked and compared over time. This means you’ll always have up to date information about employee health status.
Does your company have a health monitoring program in place?
Do you have a health surveillance program in your workplace? If not, an occupational therapist can implement a program tailored to your needs. You can install an online system that will make collection and tracking of data easy. You’ll be able to securely store and access the health status of your employees. This will help you quickly identify problems that you need to address. It’ll also make the logistics of ongoing employee testing easier to manage. So that your employees always keep up to date with their medicals.
Which industries are most prone to health surveillance issues?
Do you think you may be exposing your employees to hazardous substances? You need to take action to address the potential damage and prevent future issues. Every workplace has different types of risks and exposure levels. Monitoring employee health is a necessary precaution in a range of industries. Some of the common industries include but aren’t limited to:
- Mining
- Manufacturing
- Building and construction
- Transport and logistics
Just because your company has low levels of exposure to harmful substances. It doesn’t mean that you are exempt from having a health monitoring system in place. Make sure you’re doing the right thing by your employees. Not doing so may be in breach of the legislation in your industry.
What are some of the solutions for health surveillance issues?
Some of the ways you can protect your employees from workplace hazards include:
- OH&S training
Educate your employees how carry out their work in a safe way. Always follow industry and Australian safety standards.
- Protective gear
Ensure that your employees understand and follow the workplace rules. Give them access to protective equipment necessary to carry out their role.
- Pathology
You should monitor your employees pathology results for presence of dangerous substances. These tests include body tissue, blood, urine and breath. Does your company meet health surveillance legislation requirements? Work Safe Occupational Medicine has everything you need to create a safer workplace.
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Work Safe Occupational Medicine is a one stop occupational health service for employers. Having over 20 years experience in healthcare, your in the right hands with us. For flexible appointments, clear communication and quick turnaround time, contact us today and secure a time which works best for you.