Health surveillance
A systematic programme of checks on the health of employees who are exposed to defined workplace hazards, intended to detect work-related ill health at an early stage. Required where there is a link between exposure and an identifiable disease or health effect.
Also known as
By jurisdiction
UK HSE
“health surveillance”Exact equivalentRegulation 6 of MHSWR 1999 requires employers to provide appropriate health surveillance for employees where an assessment shows they are exposed to risk from identified hazards. COSHH 2002 (regulation 11) and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (regulation 9) impose specific health surveillance duties for chemical exposure and noise-induced hearing loss respectively.
Irish HSA
“health surveillance”Close equivalentThe Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 and the Chemical Agents Regulations 2001 require health surveillance where employees are exposed to hazards that may cause identifiable disease or adverse health effects. The employer must arrange for a competent medical practitioner to carry out the surveillance.
US OSHA
“medical surveillance”Partial equivalentOSHA uses medical surveillance as the equivalent term. It is required by specific substance standards rather than a general duty: for example, 29 CFR 1910.1020 (access to medical records), 29 CFR 1910.1030 (bloodborne pathogens), and substance-specific standards for asbestos, lead, and benzene. There is no general OSHA medical surveillance requirement equivalent to MHSWR regulation 6.
Practitioner note: Required where a link between exposure and identifiable disease is established and there is a valid detection technique. COSHH reg 11, Noise at Work Regs reg 9 (GB). OSHA requires medical surveillance under substance-specific standards.