Midlands Health Surveillance

What we offer

Skin Surveillance

'A common misconception is that our skin will protect us from everything. In group training sessions, I have passed a garlic around, invited volunteers to rub the garlic on their skin, go and wash it off and see if the smell remains. That garlic has absorbed into our skin. The same can happen at work with substances that people are working with'.

If your employees are exposed to substances that are irritative or sensitising, developing skin conditions is a risk.

We will work with you to understand your risks, and develop an appropriate programme to:

• establish your employees baseline skin condition

• undertake a s skin assessment regularly - usually alongside other health surveillance

• provide advice to the employer where an employee has an underlying skin disease

• provide recommendations and advice where early symptoms that may be a sign of an early allergic response are detected

Noise surveillance

Noise surveillance will form a part of your Controlling Noise at Work controls and measures.

If your employees are regularly exposed to noise in excess of 85dB, they will probably need hearing surveillance. The surveillance will help you as the employer understand whether your control measures are working.

Your hearing surveillance programme will include:

• baseline monitoring

• annual for two years

• three yearly thereafter unless advised otherwise

This will help you to understand whether a new employee has lower hearing than normal when they start and in the first two years will help you understand whether the control measures are working for that employee.

'Over the past years I have delivered audiometry. I have seen an increasing number of people who arrive to their new job with a degree of hearing loss from hobbies or previous work. With legal firms advertising 'no win no fee' I believe that employers could be at a disadvantage unless they have a robust hearing surveillance programme in place to help defend them'

Respiratory Surveillance

Breathing in certain gases, dusts, vapours and fumes can cause lung disease including occupational asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.

An occupational hygienist report can help you to understand your residual risk and health surveillance is required where there is residual risk despite your control measures.

Respiratory surveillance is your early warning system. Identifying early symptoms of a possible allergic response will give you time to review your control measures, educate and monitor compliance.2

A typical programme for fabricators and welders will comprise:

Baseline monitoring - to help you understand and manage underlying or pre-existing lung conditions

Repeat spirometry at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months - to confirm that your control measures are working

Annual assessment thereafter with recommendations to help you manage underlying or emerging symptoms

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVs) Surveillance

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome can cause circulatory or tingling / numbness problems with the fingers and hands.

Employers need to provide surveillance where exposure is known to be higher than the first action level of 2.5 m/s2 (lower if the individual has a known problem like Raynaud's phenomenon) or if there is a known diagnosis of HAVs.

HAVs surveillance will comprise an initial assessment to identify any underlying disorders that may increase a person's vulnerability to HAVs. Annual assessments thereafter (Tier 2) will usually take around 15 minutes.

Tier 3 assessments, if symptoms are identified will normally take around an hour, and will decide on next steps which may be referral to a GP or an OHP.

'I love working with construction workers. They love their job and they love their tools. Education and controls are essential to help them to understand the known relationship between vibration exposure and the extend of the symptoms'.