Introduction
Many companies
undertake activities that despite their best efforts can pose
hazards to their employees' health. These can take the form of
many things, from noise to dusts, chemicals, radiation, stress,
musculoskeletal disorders and many others.
English
legislation requires that companies undertake risk assessments
for all their activities and where a risk to health is identified,
that risk should ideally be eliminated, substituted for something
less hazardous, engineered to reduce exposure levels, employees
should have information instruction and training and finally,
personal protective equipment issued.
Health
Surveillance Vs Health Screening - There IS a Difference
There
are specific regulations that require employers to carry out health
surveillance. These include:
- Health &
Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- Working Time
Regulations 1998 (as amended)
- Management
of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Control of
Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
- Control of
Noise at Work Regulations 2005
- Control of
Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
- Control of
Asbestos Regulations 2006
- Control of
Lead at Work Regulations 2002
Health Surveillance
for compliance purposes covers such things as drivers' medicals,
hearing tests, lung function testing, skin surveillance and biological
monitoring. Other more stringent health surveillance regulations
cover such substances as lead, asbestos and radiation. These generally
have to be overseen by a Health & Safety Executive approved
Occupational Physician. These sets of regulations also place a
duty on the employee to co-operate with their employer and attend
for any health surveillance arranged.
Health
surveillance is a legal requirement, unlike health screening,
which is classed as 'good practice'. Health screening as is used
to check for pre-existing medical conditions e.g at pre-employment
screening stage.
Why Health Surveillance?
Other forms of
non statutory health screening include such things as lifestyle
initiatives and drug & alcohol testing - please see the appropriate
sections of this web site.
All
Safe OH & S can offer site based statutory health surveillance
including:
Please click on the buttons
below for more information about your chosen area.
Please
contact us for further information and pricing
All
Safe OH& S - Keeping you, your company and your employees
All Safe
© All Safe OH &
S Ltd 2007, 2008
