COSHH health surveillance

What is health surveillance?

Health surveillance is any activity which involves obtaining information about employees' health and which helps protect employees from health risks at work.

The objectives for health surveillance are:

  • Protecting the health of employees by early detection of adverse changes or disease;
  • Collecting data for detecting or evaluating health hazards;
  • Evaluating control measures.

It should not be confused with general health screening or health promotion.

Health surveillance is necessary when:

  • there is a disease associated with the substance in use (eg Asthma Microsite[61], Dermatitis Microsite[62], Cancers);
  • it is possible to detect the disease or adverse change and reduce the risk of further harm;
  • the conditions in the workplace make it likely that the disease will appear.

Health surveillance is a process; it may be a regular planned assessment of one or more aspects of a worker's health, for example: lung function or skin condition.

However, it is not enough to simply carry out suitable tests, questionnaires or examinations. Employers must then have the results interpreted and take action to eliminate or further control exposure. It may be necessary to redeploy affected workers if necessary.

Health surveillance may need to be completed by an occupational health professional (doctor or nurse). If a GP offers the service, you need to be sure that they are competent in occupational medicine.

The clinical outcomes from health surveillance are personal. The service provider must interpret the results of health surveillance for each individual. The service provider must supply general information for you to keep up-to-date health records. They may also be able to anonymise and group the information to highlight trends.

Employers checklist- 4 stage approach

  1. Do I have a health risk problem, or a need for occupational health input, in my workplace?
  2. What/who do I need to control/provide it (a doctor or nurse or a responsible person)?
  3. Take that action.
  4. Is it working (check on whats been done)?

Health surveillance process overview (PDF) [64]

See also

Link URLs in this page

  1. COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
  2. COSHH overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/index.htm
  3. What is a ‘substance hazardous to health’?https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/substance.htm
  4. I’m self-employed. Does this apply to me?https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/selfemployed.htm
  5. What you need to dohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/whatdo.htm
  6. COSHH assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/assessment.htm
  7. Substitutionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/substitution.htm
  8. Exposure limitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/exposurelimits.htm
  9. Chemical safety data sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/datasheets.htm
  10. Control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/control.htm
  11. Permits to workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/permits.htm
  12. Personal protective equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/ppe.htm
  13. Monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/monitoring.htm
  14. Health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/surveillance.htm
  15. Training for employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/training.htm
  16. Emergencieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/emergencies.htm
  17. Detailed overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/detail/index.htm
  18. COSHH, CLP and REACHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/detail/coshh-clp-reach.htm
  19. REACH and COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/detail/reach.htm
  20. Principles of good practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/detail/goodpractice.htm
  21. Overview - Your industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/index.htm
  22. Agriculturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/agriculture.htm
  23. Bakinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/baking.htm
  24. Beautyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/beauty.htm
  25. Cateringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/catering.htm
  26. Cleaninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/cleaning.htm
  27. Engineeringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/engineering.htm
  28. Fumigationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/fumigation.htm
  29. Hairdressinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/hairdressing.htm
  30. Offshore oil and gashttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/offshore.htm
  31. Printinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/printing.htm
  32. Motor vehicle repairhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/mvr.htm
  33. Weldinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/welding.htm
  34. Woodworkinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/woodworking.htm
  35. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/faq.htm
  36. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/resources.htm
  37. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/essentials/index.htm
  38. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/index.htm
  39. Soldererhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/solder.htm
  40. Bakerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/baker.htm
  41. Cookhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/cook.htm
  42. Weldershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/welder.htm
  43. Isocyanateshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/isocyanates.htm
  44. Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/dermatitis.htm
  45. Overview - Example risk assessmentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/index.htm
  46. Officehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/office.htm
  47. DIY shop https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/diyshop.htm
  48. Workshop https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/workshop.htm
  49. Engineer https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/engineer.htm
  50. Sandwich makerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/sandwichmaker.htm
  51. Garden centrehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/gardencentre.htm
  52. Paving companyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/paving.htm
  53. Feed mill https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/feedmill.htm
  54. Die caster https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/diecaster.htm
  55. Electronicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/electronics.htm
  56. Fruit farmhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/fruitfarm.htm
  57. Warehousehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/warehouse.htm
  58. Further informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/furtherinfo.htm
  59. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/publications.htm
  60. Research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/research-reports.htm
  61. Asthma Micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/index.htm
  62. Dermatitis Micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/index.htm
  63. Health surveillance Micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/health-surveillance/index.htm
  64. Health surveillance process overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/assets/docs/healthsurveilance.pdf
  65. EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/eh40.htm
  66. Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.htm
  67. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/essentials/index.htm
  68. Case studies (Examples of real life situations with COSHH)https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/casestudies/index.htm
  69. Example risk assessments (Use these to get ideas for completing assessments)https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/index.htm
  70. Nanotechnologyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/nanotechnology/index.htm
  71. Risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
  72. Local exhaust ventilation micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/lev/index.htm
  73. Chemicals micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/chemicals/index.htm
  74. Asthmahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/index.htm
  75. COPDhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/copd/index.htm
  76. Dermatitis Micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/index.htm

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2022-03-14