Project Restart - OH One launches affordable and flexible ad-hoc health surveillance service
Health surveillance is one of the key ways in which occupational health providers protect the health of working people. The HSE describes health surveillance as ‘putting in place systematic, regular and appropriate procedures to detect early signs of work-related ill health among employees exposed to certain health risks and acting on the results’. The ultimate aim of health surveillance is to provide early intervention both in terms of medical treatment and relevant adjustments to the workplace, for any person developing work-related health symptoms.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999), all employers have a legal responsibility to monitor the health of employees that are exposed to hazards. The most common assessments performed in health surveillance relate to noise exposure, and exposure to skin and lung allergens and sensitisers. This work is ‘bread and butter’ for any occupational health clinician, and as a statutory requirement, it should be top of the agenda for any organisation’s health and safety strategy.
The spring ‘lockdown’ put a hold on this essential work. On the 3rd of September the HSE issued guidance, stipulating that health surveillance is once again required for all employees exposed to the attendant hazards.
Our experience of running health surveillance clinics tells us that employers find HSE schedules difficult at the best of times. The added confusion caused by the 6-month hiatus has added to this burden. To meet the increased demand brought about by the backlog, we have introduced an affordable and (most importantly) safe ‘pay-as-you-go’ health surveillance service. We have undertaken thorough risk assessments, and thought about every step of the process, in order to minimise the risk of infection transmission. We have got our OH team back on the road, and have been safely delivering health surveillance clinics on-site since the end of September.
We understand that 2020 has been the most challenging time ever to work in a health and safety or HR team. As an occupational health service, we are determined to support businesses and to protect and promote health in the workplace. OH One’s sensible, simple processes and skilled, knowledgeable clinical staff will ensure that restarting health surveillance clinics does not add unnecessary stress. If you have previously had any health surveillance requirements for your colleagues, or if you think that your colleagues may be exposed to workplace hazards such as noise please get in touch.
OH One can provide clarity, simplicity, and assurance that health surveillance requirements are being met.
