| Medical surveillance is based on the risk exposure of individual employees and occupational groups.The medical surveillance programme is provided on-site or off-site depending on the location of employees. Medical surveillance through a series of examinations determines whether employees are fit for work and if they are negatively affected by exposure at work.
Thandile assists employers to meet the medical surveillance requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, No 85 of 1993. In terms of the Act, each employee should undergo an initial pre-employment medical examination before starting work. This should be followed up with planned periodic examinations, transfer medicals and exit medicals under the supervision of occupational health practitioners.
All Thandile’s clinical assessments for pre-employment, periodic screening and exit medicals are conducted by a network of accredited experienced medical practitioners in good standing with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Pre-employment medicals ensure that the prospective employee has no medical condition that could impair his or her performance in performing a specific job, and that pre-existing conditions will not be worsened by performing a specific job. Periodic screening is done to ensure that employees still maintain the required fitness levels for performing a job, as well as to monitor the effect of their occupational exposures on the individual’s health to detect and manage possible disqualifying medical conditions which may result in temporary or permanent disability.
The basic clinical assessment comprises:
- A detailed medical and occupational history
- A comprehensive physical assessment
- Lung function assessment
- Eye tests
- Hearing tests
- Blood glucose test
- Urine analysis
- Blood pressure testing
- Pulse rate measurements
- Weight, height, BMI (body mass index)
- Neck and waist circumference measurements
- Additional, if indicated:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Chest X-rays
- Multi-drug tests
- Monitoring for exposure to heavy metals, chemicals, etc.
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