Health monitoring medicals
WITH an increasing number of chemicals and hazardous substances used in the workplace, health monitoring (previously known as health surveillance) has become a key component of an effective workplace health program.
Health monitoring is often a legal requirement in a workplace where an employee is exposed to substances hazardous to their health.
Pre-employment medical assessments provide a baseline understanding of the health status of prospective employees, providing assurance of the suitability of an individual worker to a particular job role.
Ongoing health assessments or health monitoring is designed to identify changes in a person’s health status due to exposure to certain substances at work, allowing for early intervention to prevent further exposure and health effects.
Health monitoring medicals make it possible for employers to minimise the health risks to workers, by establishing baseline measurements of specific health indicators and monitoring these with periodic medical examinations.
Most state-based regulations prescribe health monitoring for particular hazardous chemicals.
Guidance is provided in the Safe Work Australia publication, Hazardous Chemicals Requiring Health Monitoring (2013).
As well as regular medical assessments, biological monitoring can be used to ensure effective workplace controls are implemented to prevent exposure to chemicals.
Biological monitoring is used to test for the presence of a hazardous substance or its metabolites in the body, to determine how much chemical has entered the body following exposure by all routes of entry (e.g. inhalation, ingestion, skin contact).
Early detection of elevated exposures or signs of adverse health effects allows companies to proactively implement timely remedial and preventative actions that minimise further harmful exposures.
Occuhealth is an occupational health and hygiene consultancy, offering a fully comprehensive service, including occupational hygiene, occupational health and occupational medicine.
Each work environment is different and Occuhealth understands the need for a risk-based approach to occupational health.
By carrying out the full suite of assessments from health risk assessments, workplace exposure monitoring through to occupational health monitoring, Occuhealth can customise services to each individual work environment.
The company maintains a number of fully equipped mobile units which travel to client workplaces, based in WA, operating throughout the nation and beyond, thus avoiding the needs for employees to lose time through travelling.
Not only does Occuhealth assist companies to meet their legislation obligations, but it also promotes proactive exposure control and disease prevention, creating healthier workplaces.