49 Melford Court,
Hardwick Grange,
Woolston,
Warrington,
Cheshire.
WA1 4RZ
Telephone: 01925 838350
Fax: 01925 838351
Email: office@soundadviceltd.co.uk
On-Site Health Surveillance
Occupational Health Services
Our Services Include:
- New starter work health assessments (was pre-employment questionnaire)
- Sickness absence management
- Skin Checks (Dermatitis)
- Night worker medicals
- Lone worker health assessments
- Fork lift truck (FLT) medicals
- Management referrals
- Stress management
- Hand arm vibration syndrome
(HAVS) clinical assessments
Night Worker Health Assessments
The Working Time Regulations 1999 provide workers with certain entitlements. These include special protections for night workers who must be offered free and confidential health assessments before starting work, on a regular basis, or as appropriate to the individual. The Working Time Regulations state that a night worker is someone who normally works at least three hours at night. Night time is between 11pm and 6am, although workers and employers may agree to vary this.
Sound Advice Safety and Health Ltd can provide you with the ability to offer a Night Worker paper questionnaire to your employees. As an employer you must offer night workers a free health assessment before they start working nights and then on a regular basis whilst they are working nights. In many cases it is suitable to offer a night worker medical on an annual basis. However employers can offer this health assessment more than once a year if they feel it is necessary.
Completion of the night worker health assessment is voluntary. The employer has to offer this to night workers, but it is not mandatory that they take up the offer. However it does enable the employee to report any health concern or medical condition that is difficult to manage or may become worse by working night time hours.
At Sound Advice Safety and Health Ltd we advise that for night workers, a paper screening questionnaire is completed. This will then be assessed by one of our Occupational Health Advisors, taking into account the type of work that will be done and the restrictions on the worker's working time under the regulations. If necessary this can then be followed up with a medical examination if doubts are raised as to the employee's fitness for night work.
Any adjustments or safer work practices can then be recommended to the employer, to ensure that the employee’s health is not being put at any risk.
If the Occupational Health Advisor has any concerns with regards to the information given on the Night Worker paper questionnaire, a follow up phone call to the employee will be made to ensure that a full overview of health is given.
A certificate with any recommendations on it will then be provided to the company.
The night worker medical assessment is to ensure that employees are not made ill as a consequence of working the night shift, and to ensure that they do not have an existing medical condition that may not be compatible with night work.
The medical conditions that are taken into consideration with respect to their effect on an employee's suitability for night work include:
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy
- Heart disease
- Intestinal problems
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid or glandular disease
- Mental illness
- Chronic sleep problems
- Back, joint and neck problems
- Asthma and pulmonary disorders
If an employee does suffer from one or more of the above, it does not automatically mean that they are unsuitable for night working. Problems will be identified along with all risk factors and then advice given so that they can be managed effectively, ensuring that the employee's health or other peoples safety remains unaffected.
Contact us now on 01925 838350 and speak to one of our consultants for further advice on your company's needs.
Tel: (01925) 838350 - Fax: (01925) 838351 - Email: office@soundadviceltd.co.uk