Occupational health assessments are medical tests and examinations carried out on employees for various reasons. First, it aims to determine the health status of the individual. Therefore, it can ascertain fitness for the job or check for work-related conditions. They include musculoskeletal, blood pressure, mental, skin, respiratory, audiovisual health checks and others.
Phases of Health Assessments
These health tests are standard in places where workers handle heavy machinery or hazardous materials. However, every company needs to have scheduled medical assessments. There are three phases or times at which it can be performed – before, during, and post-employment. That’s because they serve various purposes, which we’ll discuss subsequently.
- Pre-Employment Assessment
Employers perform pre-employment health assessments to ascertain fitness for the job. It also aids to determine if there are any unknown conditions before he/she resumes as an employee. That way, the company can differentiate work-related health issues from those that aren’t. In addition, health insurance companies usually need current wellness status reports, so that helps.
- Assessment during Employment
Only a few companies perform an occupational health assessment for current employees, and that shouldn’t be. The aim is usually to determine if the job poses any health hazards to the workers. Thus, it helps employers check the level of safety and eliminate the risk sources. It also allows them to evaluate any issues for their review.
- Post-Employment Assessment
Meanwhile, many establishments also carry out some health evaluations on retirement or termination. We call them post-employment medical examinations. However, it’s uncommon in various industries but mandatory in some, especially those with known hazards. That’s because it helps the company prevent false claims for disability and sickness.
Benefits for Your Business
There are many ways this procedure is beneficial to the company and its employees. Besides preventing false claims, studies show that it curbs health risks and reduces sicknesses. That, in turn, increases work productivity, which can boost profits. Other advantages include insights from assessment data and the motivation of workers.
Choosing an Occupational Health Provider
According to the World Health Organization, the aim should be to promote and maintain the well-being of all staff. Now that we understand occupational health assessment, it’s vital to know how to go about it. That’s because human capital is an essential part of a company, and sickness results in a loss.
Since prevention is the best way to curb that, you must have a competent health provider. Subsequently, we’ll discuss some key points to figure out to help you achieve that.
- Company Size
That calls for consideration of your establishment’s size, not physically, but in terms of the number of employees. That would determine if you’ll need a small scale occupational health provider or a large one. It’ll also help you ascertain if onsite services are applicable. If not, you’ll have to make referral procedures available so you can send your employees to them.
- Range of Health Services
The occupational health providers have a variety of services they offer. That includes assessment, health surveillance, injury management, and training. Thus, it’s essential to ensure the one you choose has everything your employees need for maximum benefit. You can also partner with outfits like Resile for complete and top-notch medical consultancy services.
Industry-specific Evaluation
We briefly mentioned some of the general tests carried out in this process earlier. Others include urinalysis and blood tests, depending on the organization.
However, most people now add COVID risk assessment to the list because of the pandemic. It’s to evaluate the dangers the virus poses to the workers as both at work and the to and fro commute.
Besides the risk assessment for COVID-19, it’s also essential that you perform industry-specific tests. Usually, there are guidelines set for this purpose, and it would be best to follow them.
That’s because it helps to ensure thoroughness and prevent any oversight that might cost you. Ultimately, we can be sure that both the employees and employers benefit.
