Health checks in work that presents a special risk of illness
In accordance with the occupational health care action plan, statutory health checks are performed on the basis of the exposures, risks, stress factors and special requirements of the work (work that presents a special risk of illness) identified in the workplace survey and the workplace’s risk assessment.
Statutory health checks can be performed:
- on the basis of a health risk caused by the work (e.g. noise, physically or psychosocially demanding work, night work)
- on the basis of a health requirement of the work (e.g. colour vision, healthy skin, night work)
- on the basis of safety aspects in special fields (e.g. transport sector, mast workers)
- when the employee’s health and work ability at different stages of an illness so require.
In work that presents a special risk of illness, health checks are performed at the beginning and end of the employment relationship as well as at regular intervals (initial and periodic checks). Their purpose is to monitor the health effects of the work and to prevent employees from falling ill due to exposure or other risk of illness involved in the work. Health checks are usually performed every 1–3 years, and the interval is specified according to the working conditions.
The supervisor can direct an employee to a work ability assessment if they suspect that the employee’s work ability has weakened. If necessary, the employee can also contact occupational health care themselves to have their work ability assessed.
A health check can also be performed to assess an employee’s work ability and functional capacity or to monitor how an employee with partial work ability is coping at work. Employees must attend statutory health checks. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the statutory health checks are performed.