An important part of Occupational Health is how work and the work enviroment can impact on workers’ health. It is important that employers make sure employees health is not impacted by their duties.
Health Surveillance is a scheme of repeated health checks which are used to identify ill health caused by work. Health and Safety law requires health surveillance when your employees remain exposed to health risks even after controls have been put in place. This is because control measures my not always be reliable, despite approprate checking, training and maintenance. Health risks which require surveilance include noise, virbation and substance hazardous to health.
Within NHS Lothian Occupational Health a Health Surveillance will be carried out by one of our competent occupational health professionals or the HSE appointed doctor.
All Health Surveillances are conducted by one of our competent occupational health professionals.
Click on the specific Health Surveillance below to find out more information:
Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)
Respiratory Health Surveillance
Seafaring (ENG1)
Skin Health Surveillance
An appointed doctor is a registered medical practitioner appointed by HSE to undertake statutory medical surveillance.
Our HSE Appointed doctor is Dr Alastair Leckie.
Information for Employers
Employers have a legal duty to ensure your employees are under medical surveillance by a doctor appointed by HSE, if they work with specific hazards and undertake certain work activities, covered by the relevant regulations:
The purpose of statutory medical surveillance is for the appointed doctor to monitor your employees for early signs of potential health problems caused by the work they are doing and provide them with advice on whether further exposure to the particular hazard is appropriate. The appointed doctor should also make you aware of any emerging health issues so you can review your risk assessment and ensure risks to your employees’ health are properly controlled.
