Medical surveillance?
It is a planned medical program with periodic examinations, which may include clinical examinations, biological monitoring, and/or medical testing of employees. The purpose of the program is to determine whether an employee suffers any negative effects of specific workplace hazards that were identified during the Hazard Analysis and Risk Identification process, as well the effectiveness of workplace control measures. Medical surveillance may also be a legal requirement in certain cases such as for employees working in high-noise environments or when working with chemicals.
AIM OF MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
•To establish worker’s health status when they start to work in an environment where they are exposed to particular hazards
•To establish if a worker needs to be removed from a certain work environment or if a worker can return to that environment.
•To ensure that workers can seek appropriate medical treatment
•To show if the company’s prevention and control measure are working effectively
•To show that hazards need to be removed and controlled more effectively.
•Medical surveillance should not be used as a tool to discover hazards. That should happen through hazard identification and risk assessment. Medical surveillance should be to ensure that control and prevention measures are working properly
General Medical Surveilance pertains:
-
Audio-metric Testing
-
Lung Functions Testing
-
Physical Examination
-
Working on Heights Exam
-
X-Rays
-
Eye test
Who may perform Occupational Health Medical Tests?
-
Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner (OHNP): A person who is a registered nurse with the required qualifications for providing occupational health services to employees and employers in the workplace.
-
Occupational Medical Practitioner (OMP): A person who is a registered medical practitioner with the required qualifications for providing occupational health services to employees and employers in the workplace.
