Mobile Medical Examinations Introduction
First of all, before we get started, according to The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations 85 of 1993, medical surveillance is defined as:
“A planned programme or periodic examination, which may include clinical examinations, biological monitoring or medical tests of employees by an occupational health practitioner or in prescribed cases, by an occupational medicine practitioner.”
A Mobile Medical unit is a can fitted with all the required equipment to carry out the examinations at your premises, or even on a site.
Our Mobile Medical Surveillance Unit Can Assist With The Following:
- Full Medical Examinations
- Vision Screening
- Drug & Urine Testing
- Spirometry (Lung Function Testing)
- Audiometric Testing (Hearing)
- Physical Examinations
- Pre-employment medical examinations
- Exit medical examinations
- Food Handlers Questionnaire
- Working on Height Questionnaire, etc.
- Annexure 3 Certificates issued
Always Be Careful Out There…
Unfortunately, some mobile medical clinics are not qualified to conduct medicals. When you book your medical surveillance services, you must always make sure that your medicals are ALWAYS signed off by a qualified OHS Practitioner. Only a registered Occupational Medical Practitioner with the Health Professions Council may conduct such medicals. This is a requirement in terms of Section 17 of the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974.
Many companies abuse this industry and do not have the necessary qualification to conduct mobile medical surveillance on their employees. As a result of this abuse, in the 2014 Construction Regulations is the specific inclusion of the wording “Occupational Medical Practitioner” under regulation 7 (1) (g).
Keep in mind, that if you do not make use of a qualified OHS Practitioner, your medicals may not be valid.
Who Needs Mobile Medical Examination for Their Staff
Remember, all employers in South Africa have to provide and maintain a working environment free of risk to the health and safety of employees. This includes most industries and is not just for those individuals that work in hazardous environments.
According to the OHS Act:
Section 8 (1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act mentioned above set the following requirement:
“General duties of employers to their employees
(1) Every employer shall provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of his employees”.
Section 9 of the Act set the following requirement:
“General duties of employers and self-employed persons to persons other than their employees
(1) Every employer shall conduct his undertaking in such a manner as to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that persons other than those in his employment who may be directly affected by his activities are not thereby exposed to hazards to their health or safety”.
What’s the Purpose of On-Site Medicals?
- The purpose of medical surveillance is not to determine risks, but to ensure prevention and control measures are working effectively.
- As an employer, you need to have a baseline health status for your employees, especially if they are exposed to hazards like noise, dust, etc.
- You have to determine if your workers must be removed from certain environments, or even if a worker can return to certain environments.
- Determine if a worker is healthy or possibly needs medical intervention.
Time is Money, Get Your Medicals Done On-Site
Lastly, we understand that time is money. It’s not always possible to load your staff in a bus and travel to a facility to conduct medical examinations. In many cases, sites are far from civilization. For this very reason, we have a fully equipped mobile clinic for medical surveillance. We can do your baseline medicals, routine medicals & exit medicals right on site. We can also bring our mobile clinic to your premises.
The convenience of a mobile surveillance unit is one of the main reasons many of our customers prefer we visit them. This will ensure the least amount of downtime for your staff. We can do onsite medical examinations for mines, construction sites, and even companies. You do not have to make use of our on-site unit; however, the option is always there.
Conclusion
Book your on-site medical surveillance today. We will always do our best to assist every client. There is no group too big or too small. We will always do our best to bring our mobile clinic to you. Remember, we also have a physical brick-and-mortar facility where you can bring your employees for immediate assistance.
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