Health surveillance and fitness for the job
Health surveillance is the set of health checks carried out by the Company Occupational Physician aimed at protecting the health of workers, in relation to their health conditions, the work environment, occupational risk factors and work procedures followed.
Health surveillance includes:
- preventive medical examination to assess a worker’s fitness prior to starting a specific job;
- periodic medical check-up, to review a worker’s fitness for the tasks to be performed;
- medical examination in the event of a change of job, if the new activity entails exposure to new hazards;
- medical examination upon termination of the employment contract, only in the cases specifically provided for by law;
- medical examination in the case of prolonged absence from work, for more than 60 consecutive days, for health reasons;
- medical examination when requested by workers, if deemed justified by the Company Occupational Physician.
The Company Occupational Physician must express an opinion as to whether the worker is fit to perform the task assigned to him/her based on the results of the medical examinations and tests (Giudizio di idoneità alla specifica mansione in Italian). This opinion may be that the worker is:
- fit to perform the specific task;
- fit to perform the task with limits or restrictions;
- temporarily not fit to perform the task;
- permanently not fit to perform the task.
The fitness for the job of the Company Occupational Physician, in addition to the worker, is also sent to the Employer and to the Health and Safety Manager, who, in the case of partial suitability or non-suitability, must assign to the worker to an equivalent task which does not entail the same type of exposure that is not compatible with the worker’s health.
Finally, it should be remembered that the Health surveillance is an obligation for the worker (Italian Law 81/08, art. 20, paragraph 2, letter i).