We are required to undertake health surveillance for workers exposed to particular health risks. Does the Code mean that this can only be undertaken by health professionals?
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) health surveillance is about systematically watching out for early signs of work-related ill health in workers exposed to certain health risks. There is nothing in the Code that would prevent a supervisor, with appropriate training, having a limited role in the collection of basic health information and associated record keeping, for example carrying out skin inspections to look for signs of rashes on the hands of workers working with detergents. This is the role of ‘responsible person’ identified by the HSE. What is important is that supervisors are trained for any role that they might have in the collection of basic health information, are aware of its possible sensitivity and the need to keep it securely and do not try to interpret the information by, for example, attempting to diagnose the possible cause of symptoms. More intrusive collection of health information, its interpretation and associated record keeping should be carried
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