Purpose
To document the company’s Monitoring, Measurement and Health Surveillance process.
Scope
This procedure covers the following:
- Monitoring & measurement of key characteristics of its operations; activities that can cause illness and injury;
- Monitor WHS performance, and effectiveness of operational controls;
- Monitor achievement of company objectives and targets;
- Monitor compliance with WHS legislation;
- Analysis of Monitoring and Measurement Data
Policy Statement
Health monitoring is required under work health and safety laws where there is a significant risk to health due to workplace exposure to the following hazardous chemicals.
- Acrylonitrile
- Lead (inorganic)
- Arsenic (inorganic)
- Mercury (inorganic)
- Asbestos
- 4,4’-Methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA)
- Benzene
- Organophosphate pesticides
- Cadmium
- Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
- Chromium (inorganic)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
- Creosote
- Thallium
- Crystalline silica
- Vinyl chloride
- Isocyanates
Health monitoring is also required for other hazardous chemicals not listed above where there is a significant risk to health and appropriate and valid test methods are available.
Our company will provide a registered medical practitioner with certain information about the business or undertaking, the worker and the work to be performed that has triggered the requirement for health monitoring.
The information should include:
About the business or undertaking and the worker
- name and address of the person conducting the business or undertaking
- the name, date of birth, gender and current residential address of the worker
About the work
- a list of the hazardous chemicals that the worker is or will be exposed to and the dates that the worker last used the chemicals
- the work the worker is or will be, carrying out that has triggered the requirement for health monitoring
- if the worker has started that work, how long the worker has been carrying it out
- the SDS for the chemical(s)
- relevant risk assessments reports, details of workplace exposure standards and results of air monitoring carried out at the workplace. This information is critical for the practitioner to understand all of the situations where workplace exposure could occur. Risk assessment reports should contain information about likely exposures at the workplace, including control measures that are in place to reduce exposure and investigations of results where workplace exposure standards have been exceeded.
Responsibilities
Our company is responsible for Monitoring and Measurement including all expenses such as:
- doctor’s fees „
- testing and analysis costs „
- travel costs.
Setting a Baseline
Baseline health monitoring of the worker is required before the worker starts work with a chemical identified as requiring health monitoring so that changes to the worker’s health during that work can be detected.
For chemicals for which health monitoring is required, the following information should be collected and included on the health monitoring report.
Demographic data—provided by the employer or the worker
- name, gender and date of birth of the worker
- current residential address of the worker.
Details of the work—provided by the employer
- a description of the work which triggered the requirement for health monitoring
- details of control measures used in current work, including whether suitable personal protective equipment is used for that specific process
- if the worker has started that work, how long the worker has been carrying it out—date of starting the current job.
Previous work history—collected by the medical practitioner
- past work history, including previous known or suspected exposures
- the potential for exposure in current work.
Medical history—collected by the medical practitioner
- presence of symptoms that may be due to exposure; see symptoms listed in Hazardous Chemicals Requiring Health Monitoring for each hazardous chemical
- relevant medical conditions that increase health risk from exposure
- other relevant information, for example, smoking history.
Physical examination—performed by the medical practitioner
Results of a physical examination will be collected. Details of physical examinations required are provided in Hazardous Chemicals Requiring Health Monitoring. For some chemicals, specific issues will be examined. For example for acrylonitrile the physical examination will include an emphasis on the central nervous system, respiratory system and skin, but only if work and medical history indicate this is necessary, such as where symptoms are present. In other cases, the collection and analysis of biological samples, for example, urine or blood may be required.
Data Collection when Terminating Health Monitoring
The following data should be collected at the termination of the health monitoring process, or termination of work with the chemical:
- date of termination
reason for termination:
- ill-health, if ‘yes’, give details
- other reasons
- date and cause of death if in service.
Final medical examination
A final medical examination should also be conducted. As with baseline monitoring, the focus of the final medical examination varies for individual chemicals and may involve the collection of biological samples.
Definitions
Monitoring – To check, observe critically, or measure the progress of an activity, action, or system, on a regular basis in order to identify a change from the performance level required or expected.
PM – Project Manager