Health Surveillance Process

The University of Reading are required to assess all significant risks to their employees including those that can impact on health. Managers in each School or Directorate should undertake a risk assessment where hazards exist. Where exposure to hazards cannot be eliminated and a risk to health continues then health surveillance should be provided.

Health surveillance is a system of regular health checks carried out on employees or students who are exposed to specific risks at work. The purpose of this is to detect early signs of work-related ill health and take action to prevent it from getting worse by reviewing the workplace controls.

How do we arrange health surveillance?

Line Managers are responsible for ensuring relevant employees and students are identified who require health surveillance, this includes new starters or employees who change roles. Managers should ascertain, in consultation with Health and Safety Services the type of assessments required for each worker based on their exposure profile.  The types of assessments we offer include lung function, skin, HAVs (Hand and Vibrations) and also audio.

Once a manager has identified the relevant employee or student requiring health surveillance they should complete the Health Surveillance enrolment form identifying the job or project hazards. The employee or student should then complete the questions in section 3 and 4 which ask questions around their past medical history and current symptoms or medical conditions  and return to Occupational Health Service - occupationalhealth@reading.ac.uk.

Occupational Health Service will contact the employee by email and arrange an appointment. This appointment will be made within 5 to 10 working days of receiving the form.

Non-attendance of appointments

Where the need for health surveillance is identified the employee is required to comply with the arrangements and attend appointments or complete the required questionnaires. If they fail to attend the arranged appointment or complete the questionnaires Occupational Health will be unable to confirm that the employee is fit for work and it may be necessary to prohibit the employee or student from working with certain substances or from working in certain areas.

Outcome of Health Surveillance

The employer is required to hold a health record for individuals who have undergone health surveillance. This gives details of the employee’s fitness for work and the health surveillance they have had.

Occupational Health will inform the manager and employee of the outcome of health surveillance by providing an individual health record. This will be provided within 5-10 days of the appointment.  The test results will remain confidential to Occupational Health and will not be shared with managers or supervisors. 

In some circumstances the manager may be informed of any adjustments that are required including reviewing the controls they have in place.

The employer is required to hold a health record for individuals who have undergone health surveillance for 40 years and Occupational Health will hold these . This gives details of the employee’s fitness for work and the health surveillance they have had.

Escalation of Health Surveillance Concerns:

Where health surveillance has identified concerns, the case will be referred to an occupational health physician or an external team as felt appropriate.

The employee or student will be informed of the need for this and they will be advised of any outcome.

Where a case is escalated the manager and HR will be informed of the outcome of the appointment and where possible if the condition is known or is likely to be work related with the employees consent.

Recall for Health Surveillance

Employees who are enrolled in the health surveillance programme will be recalled on a repeat annual basis by Occupational Health. Where it is appropriate an employee may be recalled on a more frequent basis.  If you have any questions please do contact Occupational Health - occupationalhealth@reading.ac.uk