Health Surveillance
Safety Critical Medicals
Safety critical medicals are essential evaluations designed to ensure that individuals working in high-risk environments are fit for their roles.
Evaluating Potential Workplace Risks
The primary objective of these medicals is to ascertain that workers are not affected by any health conditions or undergoing treatments that might compromise their ability to perform tasks deemed as safety critical. Such tasks, if not executed correctly due to health issues, could pose significant risks to the individual and others around them.
Defining a Safety Critical Medical
Focus
A safety critical medical is characterised by its focus on roles where an individual’s ill health could jeopardise their capacity to perform tasks that are safety critical.
Identify
It’s essential for employers to conduct risk assessments for all activities to determine their safety critical nature.
Assess
Any health-related compromise could lead to substantial risks to both the individual and those in their vicinity. Assessments will decide if a worker’s potential incapacity could result in significant harm to themselves or others.
For roles such as plant operators, construction workers, scaffolders, and banksmen, their health and safety are of utmost importance. Prohms offers a comprehensive safety critical medical that includes:
General health assessment
Audiometry (hearing tests)
Spirometry (lung function tests)
Skin testing
Vision assessment
Musculoskeletal assessment
Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) Tier 2 assessment (especially if the role involves the use of vibrating tools)
It’s recommended that these medicals be conducted before an employee starts their role and then revisited annually to ensure consistent safe working practices.
At Prohms, we understand the challenges employers face in getting their workers assessed for safety critical roles promptly. That’s why we’ve streamlined our processes to make them as efficient and straightforward as possible. Our team of professionals is equipped to provide a range of health surveillance services, ensuring that you meet all regulatory requirements and prioritize the well-being of your staff.
Typically, a safety critical medical takes about an hour. However, depending on the specific requirements of the job role, additional tests like drug and alcohol screening or other health surveillance might be necessary, extending the duration.
The validity of a safety critical medical varies based on age:
For those aged 54 and under: 3 years
Aged between 55-65 years: 2 years
Aged 65 and over: 1 year
However, these durations might change depending on the specific risks associated with a job role.
“Our institution greatly appreciates Prohms’ prompt and professional services. Their flexible approach has significantly reduced our sick days by 10% compared to last year.”
Head of HR, Halifax
Ensure the safety of your employees
Our dedicated team is here to assist you every step of the way, ensuring that the health surveillance process is seamless and efficient. Whether you’re in the engineering, construction, utilities, manufacturing, or education sector, Prohms is your trusted partner for safety critical medicals.