Health Surveillance Services
Fast, digital reporting
From £70
Bespoke services for your business
What is occupational health surveillance?
Health surveillance is a system of on-going health checks.
Health surveillance services are important for:
- Detecting ill-health effects at an early stage, so employers can introduce better controls to prevent them getting worse
- Providing data to help employers evaluate health risks
- Enabling employees to raise concerns about how work affects their health
- Highlighting lapses in workplace control measures, therefore providing invaluable feedback to the risk assessment
- Providing an opportunity to reinforce training and education of employees (e.g. on the impact of health effects and the use of protective equipment)
A risk assessment should be used to identify any need for health surveillance. Health surveillance can sometimes be used to help identify where more needs to be done to control risks and where early signs of work-related ill health are detected, employers should take action to prevent further harm and protect employees.
When putting in place a health surveillance programme, blanket coverage for all employees should be avoided as it can provide misleading results and waste money.
Do I need health surveillance services?
If there is still a risk to health after the implementation of all reasonable precautions, you may need to put a health surveillance programme in place. A responsible person can be trained to make routine basic checks, such as skin inspections or signs of rashes and could, e.g., be a supervisor, employee representative or first aider. For more complicated assessments, an occupational health nurse or an occupational health doctor can ask about symptoms or carry out periodic examinations.
There are also a number of high-hazard substances or agents where the law requires that the health surveillance programme includes statutory medical surveillance. Statutory medical surveillance involves a medical examination and possibly tests by a doctor with appropriate training and experience. The doctor must have been appointed by HSE.
Medical surveillance is a legal requirement for the following workplace exposures:
- Particular types of work with asbestos
- Lead
- Ionising radiation
- Compressed air
- Substances hazardous to health that are subject to Schedule 6 of The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
How Do I Organise Health Surveillance Services?
To organise health surveillance services for your business, get in touch with us at info@compass-ms.co.uk or 03333580340.
Address for Chorley clinic: Compass House, Cowling Business Park, Canalside, Chorley, PR6 0QL
On site appointments are also available.
What Can Be Included in Occupational Health Surveillance Services?
Occupational health surveillance can include but is not limited to the following:
More Frequently Asked Questions About Health Surveillance
What is the difference between health monitoring and health surveillance?
Health surveillance services are used to detect and prevent any underlying causes of workplace ill health, such as any hazards the worker might be exposed to, by using reports to look at trends. For example, if an employee is exposed to noise, we would include an audiometry test in the health surveillance service provided, the results of which can be used to take action.
Health monitoring, on the other hand, is a follow on from health surveillance, and ensures that the measures employers put in place protect the worker from workplace hazards. Following on from the previous example of the employee exposed to noise, health monitoring may be put in place annually to make sure that the employer is actioning the findings of the health surveillance report. In this example, the employer has to provide PPE if the noise can’t be eliminated and Compass, as the occupational health provider, would make sure that any PPE used is working and the employee’s hearing isn’t deteriorating.
Is it a legal requirement to have health surveillance?
Medical surveillance is a legal requirement for the following workplace exposures: particular types of work with asbestos, work with lead, work with ionising radiation, work in compressed air, work with those substances hazardous to health that are subject to Schedule 6 of The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
What does the HSE say about health surveillance?
The HSE states:
“Health surveillance is required in any workplace where each of the following are met:
- the work is known to harm health in some way
- there are valid ways of detecting the disease or condition
- there is a reasonable likelihood that damage to health may occur under the particular conditions at work
- the surveillance is likely to benefit the employee
- the technique of investigation is of low risk to the employee”
You can read more on the HSE’s topic on Health Surveillance.
How much does health surveillance cost?
Prices start from £75pp, however prices vary depending on what is required for the appointments.
What can I expect to see from the reports?
Our reports will give you an anonymised overview of the health of your employees and can help to indicate any potential problems, helping to address and prevent issues in advance.
All reports are typically issued within 7 days and are digital.
