Health and Safety


GUIDELINE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

Aims

The Company Occupational Health Monitoring Policy is designed to ensure the effective occupational health monitoring and management of employees who are working at the company.

It is not the company’s intention to unreasonably discriminate against or victimise potential or existing employees on the grounds of fitness or disability, but to ensure that employees are not placed in roles or given duties that could cause detriment to their health.

The company recognises its responsibilities in law and to that end shall take reasonable steps to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all its employees.

Company decisions relating to fitness to work will be strictly based on advice and guidance provided by the Occupational Health Medical Advisor (OHMA), a competent person with skills and knowledge of Occupational Health issues, and by other specialist medical practitioners.

 

Objectives

1. Health Surveillance

The responsible manager shall notify the company OHMA of any employee who:

  • Works in an environment where they are/or will be exposed to heat stress
  • Works in an environment where there are/or will be exposed to harmful levels of noise
  • Operates mobile plant, cranes or cradles
  • Works on radioactive sources
  • Works in an environment where they are/or will be exposed to substances specified in the COSHH regulations as requiring health surveillance
  • Undertakes work or activities that the Law or Codes of Practice recommend health surveillance be undertaken

To arrange a scheduled medical appointment for the purposes of health surveillance at an appropriate frequency.

 

2. Job Change

The responsible manager shall notify the company OHMA of any employee who is changing jobs from:

  • A sedentary job role to an active job role
  • A job requiring health surveillance

To arrange a fitness assessment medical appointment

 

3. Pre Employment Medical Assessment

The responsible manager shall notify the company OHMA where appropriate of any full/part time employee it is proposing to employ to arrange a pre-employment medical appointment. In addition the following details shall be provided to the medical advisor/company prior to the appointment.

  • Medical Questionnaire (completed by the job applicant)
  • The job role that the applicant is to undertake
  • Known risks associated with the job role.

If a medical is required the company shall notify the applicant of the date, time and place of the medical.

All contractual offers of employment shall be subject to a satisfactory completion of a medical questionnaire and/or pre-employment medical.

 

4. Health & Performance Monitoring

Supervisors have a responsibility to monitor the performance of employees under their control e.g.

  • Absence monitoring and return to work interviews
  • Performance appraisals
  • Accident/incident investigation
  • General coaching/counselling
  • Supervision

Supervisors shall notify the responsible manager where they have reasonable grounds to believe that an employee under their control shows signs of, or is liable to suffer, harm or performance deterioration due to issues of health and well being.

The responsible manager shall notify the company OHMA of the supevisor’s concerns and where appropriate arrange an appointment for the employee to see the OHMA.

The purpose of the assessment shall be to assess the employee to determine any potential underlying medical or psychological cause and to provide reasonable support where appropriate.

 

5. Support Arrangements

The company OHMA will advise the responsible manager of any precautions or limitations that need to be observed, including the duration that precautions or limitations need apply.

Where appropriate, the company OHMA will arrange with the Health & Safety Manager for a workplace assessment to be undertaken to ensure that the work and the environment is not liable to pose any risk of detriment to the employee’s health and well being.

Where necessary the company OHMA will continue to periodically monitor the employee’s progress or their working arrangements.

The company OHMA will notify the responsible manager of any amendments in the workplace arrangements that they deem appropriate to ensure the health and well being of the employee.

Where appropriate the company OHMA advisor will arrange medical/psychological support where appropriate via the company’s private healthcare scheme, liaising with the employee’s GP.

Employee’s will be afforded reasonable time and support to ensure that their occupational health needs are met.

 

6. Responsibilities

  • Pro-active occupational health risk assessments should b made in collaboration with the OHMA.
  • The company OHMA will ensure that the company and its employee’s are provided with suitable and sufficient information to enable the company and its employee’s to effectively manage occupational health, safety and well being or that of colleagues.
  • The company will ensure that it acts appropriately upon any advice it receives from the OHMA so as not to risk the health and well being of its employee’s, or abuse their legal rights.
  • Employees will ensure that they attend any medical appointments with the company occupational health providers and act appropriately on any advice they receive from them so as not to risk their health and well being.
  • Employees shall notify their manager as soon as possible of any medical appointments that they are required to attend so as to enable them to arrange cover for the period of absence from the job.
  • Employees shall notify the company as soon as possible if they believe their performance is suffering detriment due to health issues.

7. Resources

The company will provide the resources of its occupational health providers (where appropriate) supported by cleaning staff, managers and specialists to ensure the health and well being of its employee’s.

 

 

Model Occupational Health Assessment Matrix

 

 

Example Occupational Health Hazard Matrix