If any of your employees carry out asbestos removal which is notifiable as licensable work, then you as an employer have a legal duty to ensure that they are under medical surveillance by an appointed doctor.
Health surveillance by an appointed doctor is a statutory requirement for licensable work at intervals not exceeding 2 years. Health surveillance is a statutory requirement for notifiable non licensable work and must not exceeding 3 years. Health surveillance is not a statutory requirement for non-licensable/low risk asbestos work.
Health surveillance comprises of ongoing checks of your employee’s health. As Asbestos can cause cancer as well as other debilitating illnesses any health effects must be picked up early. This can be done using health surveillance.
The importance of health surveillance is as follows:
It goes without saying good personal hygiene and practices and correct use of Personal Protective Equipment, including Respiratory Protection are important safeguards in preventing disease, including asbestos related diseases.
Health surveillance for workers working with asbestos may include:
Health questionnaires should be used to assess workers’ respiratory health before they start employment.
At appropriate intervals, as recommended by a health professional, questionnaires should also be used to assess worker health during their employment. All questionnaires should be completed by a responsible person and further advice will likely be required from an occupational health provider. In addition to questionnaires, a lung function test may also be performed to help to assess a worker’s lung health.
Decisions on the appropriate form of health surveillance should be taken on advice from an occupational health provider. The precise form of health surveillance will depend on the particular circumstances of exposure (level, frequency and duration) identified by the risk assessment.
Employees should always cooperate with their employer or works doctor/nurse if health surveillance is required.
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