Occupational health risk assessments for industrial workplaces.
An occupational health risk assessment helps employers understand the health risks associated with the work their employees perform before deciding which medicals or tests are required. Applying one screening programme across every role can result in assessments that do not address an employee’s actual exposure or job demands.
The assessment examines workplace activities and hazards that could affect employees, identifies exposed groups and helps determine where medical surveillance or additional occupational health support may be needed.
Connecting workplace risks to employee health.
The assessment considers the tasks employees perform and the conditions in which the work takes place. Relevant occupational health hazards could include:
- Noise
- Dust and airborne contaminants
- Hazardous chemicals
- Biological agents
- Ergonomic demands
- Heat or other physical stressors
Existing controls and occupational health records can also help show how identified risks are being managed.
The findings can be used to group employees according to similar exposure and select suitable medical assessments for each group. Employees exposed to noise could require audiometry, while those working around respiratory hazards could need lung function testing or other appropriate surveillance.
Medicals at your site or an IHSS clinic.
We support South African employers with occupational health risk assessments that can inform workplace screening and medical surveillance. The service is suited to industrial, regulated and safety-critical operations with varied job roles and exposure profiles.
A risk assessment can also identify gaps in screening, recordkeeping or referral processes. It should be reviewed when work processes change, new substances are introduced or employee duties are altered.
Linking health assessments to workplace risk gives employers relevant information about employee exposure and medical fitness.