The Health and Safety Executive has issued its first-ever Prohibition Notice against an occupational health service provider after finding that inadequate health surveillance was putting workers at risk of serious and irreversible harm.
HSE inspectors found that health surveillance was being carried out by personnel who were inadequately trained, unqualified and unsupervised.
The deficiencies meant that early signs of occupational conditions including:
- occupational asthma;
- occupational dermatitis; and
- noise-induced hearing loss
could have gone undetected.
HSE subsequently issued an Improvement Notice after identifying further concerns including inadequate clinical governance, lack of competent occupational health oversight, insufficient quality assurance and inadequate processes for escalating adverse findings.
What should organisations do?
The case is an important reminder that outsourcing occupational health does not mean employers can simply assume the service being provided is adequate.
HSE specifically expects employers to satisfy themselves that occupational health providers they appoint are capable of delivering services that meet legal requirements.
Where health surveillance is required under legislation such as COSHH or the Control of Noise at Work Regulations, employers should ensure their provider has appropriate qualifications, competence, clinical oversight and processes for communicating adverse findings and recommending action.
Further information: HSE – Landmark enforcement action against occupational health service provider
