Occupational health
Health monitoring
Health and safety regulations require employers to provide health monitoring, sometimes called “surveillance”, for their employees. Health surveillance entails a systematic approach to assessing and managing any potential risks to employee health. Black & Banton encourage a preventative approach so that surveillance is an effective means of detecting any change in employee health at the earliest possible stage.
Black & Banton work with managers to ensure that existing health surveillance control measures are effective. We can also start from first principles and develop surveillance techniques for you that are safe, sensitive and non-invasive. Either way, we guarantee to ensure that your procedures are compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequent statutory regulations.
We deliver health monitoring services at your premises or in our fully equipped and convenient mobile clinic that can be parked at your site. It contains an audiobooth and the equipment for conducting lung function tests, eye tests, hearing tests and cardiovascular health tests.
We provide reports and statistics via our client portal in accordance with Data Protection Act (1998) principles, give you the guidance you need to act on the results of the surveillance and recommend follow-up appointments at appropriate intervals. We also arrange, with your approval, individual assessments for employees experiencing difficulties or requiring referral to specialist consultants, such as audiologists, respiratory specialists and dermatologists.
Risk management and regulations
Black & Banton undertake physical, biological or chemical monitoring, according to the legal requirements and level of risk to the business and employee. This is usually to a level that is deemed "reasonably practicable" by the following regulations.
Management of Health and Safety at Work (1999) require employers to provide suitable and sufficient risk assessments by competent people.
Together with the Management of Health and Safety at Work (1999) Regulations, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) (1992), Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) (1992), Personal Protective Equipment at Work (1992), Provision and Use of Work Equipment (1998) and the Manual Handling Operations (1992) Regulations form the legislative "Six Pack" that govern employers' responsibilities in the workplace.
Noise at Work Regulations (1989) and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations (2002) require employers to protect the hearing of their employees and to minimise and monitor their exposure to harmful substances.
The Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (1989) and Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (1995) (RIDDOR) require employers to communicate risks and notify certain occupational injuries and dangerous events.
In addition, there are specific regulations that relate to working with substances such as lead and asbestos.
The Health and Safety Executive provides a useful overview of the regulations governing workplace safety:
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsc13.pdf
Monitoring
We provide the following services, either in-house or at The Black & Banton Clinic:
- skin (dermatological) assessments
- lung-function (spirometric) testing
- hearing (audiometric) tests
- hand-arm vibration (HAVS) assessments
- biological monitoring, such as asbestos and lead medicals
- urine cytology analysis
- ionising radiation medicals
- diving medicals
- off-shore medicals
- fork-lift truck medicals
- confined-spaces medicals
- working-time directive medicals (including for night-workers)
