Checklist when purchasing health surveillance provision

If you have found that you need health surveillance, the following checklist may be useful before or during a first meeting with a potential health surveillance provider.

• Discuss and agree your occupational health needs with your provider
• Check your provider is competent in undertaking the tasks you require of them
• Agree the roles and responsibilities in the health surveillance process, and the communication arrangements for those involved
• Consider the practical aspects of getting people to health surveillance appointments (don’t forget shift employees, those working remotely, or those who are absent because of illness or holiday. They all need to be included if they do work which requires health surveillance).
• Agree the format and frequency for the feedback of results, eg do you require a written or email format; do you need just the results or do you need interpretation of their significance as well; will you need the provider to highlight any actions required?
  • Set up a system to review and act on them
• Agree procedures and roles in the referral of those found with ill health for diagnosis or further treatment
• Agree and set up systems to maintain the appropriate records, particularly health records
• Consider how you might deal with employees found with ill health who may no longer be fit to be exposed, or those who have restrictions placed on exposure
• Agree a timescale for reviewing the health surveillance provision and its performance in helping to manage ill health risks at work

Once you have decided on the services of a particular OH provider, you may want to:

• share your risk assessments with them
• make sure they observe the employees and the work they are doing