If your team works with noise, vibration or hazardous substances, you may have a legal duty to provide health surveillance. Here's what triggers it, what it involves, and how KRevive's occupational health service can help.
Corby and the wider Northamptonshire area are home to a large number of manufacturing, logistics and construction businesses. If your workers are exposed to noise, vibration or hazardous substances, health surveillance may not be optional. It may be a legal requirement.
What is health surveillance?
Health surveillance is a programme of repeated health checks used to identify ill health caused or made worse by work. Done well, it picks up early signs of problems such as hearing damage or hand-arm vibration syndrome, so you can act before they become serious and check that your workplace controls are working.
When is it required?
Health and safety regulations set out when health surveillance is needed, even after you've put control measures in place:
- Noise: hearing checks are required for workers regularly exposed above the upper exposure action values, a daily or weekly exposure of 85 dB(A) or a peak sound pressure of 137 dB(C), or who are at risk for another reason.
- Vibration: surveillance is required for workers likely to be regularly exposed to hand-arm vibration above the exposure action value, or who are at risk for any other reason.
- Hazardous substances (COSHH): surveillance is required where a substance is linked to an identifiable disease, that disease can be detected, and conditions at work make it likely to occur.
Your risk assessment should tell you whether any of these apply. If you're unsure, an occupational health provider can help you work it out.
Your responsibilities as an employer
- Put an ongoing programme in place with input from a competent occupational health professional.
- Explain the purpose of the programme to employees and their representatives.
- Keep individual results confidential.
- Act on the findings: review your controls, and prevent further harm where problems are found.
How KRevive can help
KRevive offers nurse-led occupational health for businesses across Northamptonshire, either at our Corby clinic or on site at your workplace. Services include:
- health surveillance programmes
- audiometry (hearing tests)
- spirometry (lung function tests)
- hand-arm vibration (HAVS) assessments
- fitness-to-work assessments
Our clinic has dedicated facilities for workplace health assessments.
Explore our occupational health services or contact us to discuss your requirements.
This article is general guidance and isn't legal advice. Always check the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance for your sector.
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