What is an Occupational Health Assessment?
Occupational Health Assessments are becoming increasingly common in the workplace. Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees, as it is essential to identify any health problems that may be affecting them in their job role. An Occupational Health Assessment is a process that evaluates an employee’s fitness for work, identifies any underlying medical conditions, and provides recommendations for adjustments to the workplace or job role.
An Occupational Health Assessment considers the employee’s physical and mental health, medical history, and the specific demands of their role. The assessment is designed to identify health issues that may impact the employee’s performance or pose a risk to their health and safety.
The assessment is completed by a qualified Occupational Health professional who has the relevant training and experience. The assessment aims to identify any underlying health issues and provide recommendations to the employer to support the employee in the work role. This enables the business to make operationally feasible considerations of the employee’s health in the workplace role.
The Process of an Occupational Health Assessment
The process of an Occupational Health Assessment may vary depending on the specific requirements of the employer and employee. However, there are some common steps involved in the assessment process.
Referral
The first step in the process is for the business to make a Management referral. The referral should include information on the employee’s job role, any health concerns and any specific requirements for the assessment. Once a secure online referral form is received, an appointment with the employee will be offered. We aim to have an appointment offered to the employee within 48 hours of receipt of the referral form.
Assessment
The assessment itself will usually take place via the telephone or virtually. The Occupational Health professional will conduct a medical history review during the assessment. This is a confidential conversation.
Report
Following the assessment, the Occupational Health professional will produce a report providing an overview of health issues reported to be impacting the employee at work. The report will provide recommendations for adjustments to the work tasks if appropriate. These recommendations are advisory and made for the business to consider what they believe to be operationally feasible to support.
Why is an Occupational Health Assessment important?
Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees and an Occupational Health Assessment can help with this. The assessment process can identify health problems affecting an employee’s ability to work safely and effectively in the job role. It can make recommendations for adjustments to reduce the impact of health symptoms. In identifying these issues the employer can consider operationally feasible measures to support the employee working whilst managing their health condition.
