Tips For Those Who Need Workplace Health Checks But Don't Know Where To Start

ARE YOU NEW TO OR LOOKING TO GET HEALTH MONITORING?

Is your business looking for health monitoring or new to health monitoring?  Not sure what is required of you?  Unsure of what to expect from the health monitoring process?

Here’s a quick overview to help clarify for business owners what’s needed and how it works.

You will be seeking health monitoring for at least one of the following reasons

• Your business needs to meet the legal requirements as determined by the Health & Safety At Work Act (2015)

• Your business is growing, your health risks are changing, you may have taken on staff and you need to be on top of your health and safety requirements

• Your business is looking at bigger contracts and needs to meet prequalification requirements as part of the evidence to bid for these

You will need to have a very clear understanding of what your business’ health hazards/risks are. Long story short, you want to ensure that health hazards in your workplace are identified and the appropriate measures/controls are in place to eliminate, substitute or control these.  Health monitoring is a way to measure how well your current controls are working.  

The initial health monitoring session will provide baseline health results for employees.  You will be looking for changes to employee health related to workplace health hazards.   Ongoing annual health testing provides comparisons to baseline monitoring.  Health monitoring results provide evidence of the effectiveness of the controls.  Variance, positive or negative may indicate changes in practice, equipment or machinery use.  Negative variance will need further investigation and possible action.

What’s Required Of The Business Owner?

• Know what your workplace health risks are - look up your Risk Register.  Is it up to date? Does it cover the health risks which employees are exposed to?  The occupational health nurse will need your input to understand the specific risks and ensure the right health monitoring tests are included.  If you need a template for your Risk Register they are available at www.worksafe.govt.nz 

• Prepare the employees - let them know about health monitoring, that it is a legal requirement, that this is a positive action.  Their health information will be kept secure and private.  The business owner will only know the high level outcomes, not the details, unless there is a critical safety issue identified, for example, very high blood pressure in a driver.

• Complete the paperwork before testing day - this will likely include an employee consent form to participate in health monitoring.  You may need to let the occupational health nurse know about the venue, WIFI access, parking, contact phone numbers, start times if the testing is done onsite.  

On The Day

What’s required of the employee on the day?

• Complete and return required paperwork before your appointment

• Attend their appointment on time

What happens during Annual Health Monitoring (or Pre-Employment Medical) appointments?

• General health information is collected

• Various health checks and screening are completed

• Relevant health education, related to the employees test results are given as they progress through the appointment

• The employee will receive a copy of their results, either hard copy or email

• If the employee requires referral to another health care provider e.g. their GP, optician, this will be given directly to them during the health testing 

* Pre-Employment Medical - specific health checks done with potential employees BEFORE a job offer.

What happens after Health Monitoring?

• As the business owner you will receive a report documenting results and findings from the health checks.  This will include recommendations for implementation or changes in relation to employee health.  

  
  

You have met this years legal requirement for health monitoring in your workplace

Other Considerations For The Business Owner

Can you host the health provider at your workplace or will you need to travel to them?  What will  cause the least amount of disruption to your business or worksite during health monitoring?  The health provider will have certain requirements to be able to complete health checks, so chat to them about what sort of space and requirements they need.  Be aware, you may need to go off site to complete these.

Include annual health monitoring in your yearly business planning so it is not a rushed, second thought.  This will decrease the stress of trying to find someone at short notice and ensure you get access to your preferred provider at a time that suits.

Got a question?  I’m happy to help.