Managing your OH provider and your Fitness for work process. Caroline Mcleod Group Head of Occupational Health
Fit for work process Impact of a poor fitness for work process: Key causation: lack of strict guidance , poor comprehension, poor compliance, inconsistency, poor communication. Potential impact: • Increased AIR. • Increased cost of absence. • Increased claims and tribunals. • Increased turn over of staff. • Increased risk to health. • Increased numbers of Riddor submissions. • HSE prosecution.
Essential Actions : • Establish a robust pre employment health clearance process. Do not compromise. (HR/Onboarding). • Ensure your employment application form includes: consent to release medical information to HR/Line manager. • Clear documented stipulation of your safety critical roles. • Facilitate a SCM pre start. Ensure your Supply chain are supported/informed and adhere to your requirements. • Provide a non safety critical employee health clearance process. • Prompt identification of health issues: Hearing, vision, dermatitis… HAVS ! Hypertension, Diabetes. • Individual risk assessment / employee compliance with restriction/adjustment. • Facilitate referral to : OH physician , GP, Optician and follow up for health issues. • Riddor process: Prompt referral for confirmation of diagnosis, appropriate reporting process. ( avoid Tier3) • Provide Manager / SHE training awareness and guidance. Employee engagement. • Implement restrictions /adjustments. Ensure trained supervision to ensure compliance. • Ensure appropriate health surveillance frequency. • UTILISE the basics of the hierarchy of controls for the management of risk to health . Manage your OH provider !
OH providers: The Companies and The Freelancer. • The majority of OH providers have little understanding of construction and heavy industry fitness for work requirements. • The vast majority Occupational health nurses have little or no understanding of the construction industry, the risks to health ,the roles, and environmental hazards. • OH Nurses will not and cannot deliver first aid or emergency treatments. • The OH provider will have their own interpretation of the safety critical criteria. • The OH company will not advise your business, they will deliver what YOU ask for. • The OH company will retain your statistics and when/if you terminate their contract, they will take YOUR records with them unless you manage them robustly. • The Freelance nurse: Working independently, without the support of an SEQHOS accredited provider should be avoided .
OH providers: How to prepare and what to ask for: • Establish/agree the content and frequency of the SCM /Sentinel. • Certificate format. Clear concise explanations. Monitor compliance. • Establish OH key performance indicators: Appointment time frame, audit process and clinical governance. • Clearly define your consent to access medical records process. • Establish OH monthly report: Actions, outcomes and the issues identified. • Establish report re: results of surveillance and ensure all is retained by the owner company. • Ensure access to Physicians. Trained HAVs assessors. • Support, inform, educate your supply chain.
Fit for work process: Inadequate Fit certifications
Fit for work process: Fit certification format. Information required: • Operative name and DOB • Elements screened. • Restrictions/Adjustments guidance. • Occupational Health management. • Primary care intervention. • Frequency of surveillance • Recall date. • Professional validation. • Additional guidance.
Hierarchy of control Essential steps to manage Health Risk Assessment risks to health…… Eliminate . If we don’t Isolate / substitute Redesign / Engineering Controls Implement Inform & Identify Document control Supervise Inform / Educate / Train educate measures Fitness for work / SCW PPE We DO NOT control the risk ! Health surveillance
Thank you ………. Any questions?
Recommend
More recommend
