Health and Safety

Executive

OCM Health surveillance

Offshore
COSHH Control approach 4
essentials Special advice

This information will help offshore What is health

duty holders (owners, operators and surveillance?
contractors) to comply with the Control Health surveillance is an integral
of Substances Hazardous to Health part of health risk management
Regulations 2002 (COSHH), as amended, to and involves collecting and
protect workers’ health. using information about
workers’ health, in relation to
This guidance consolidates good control the substances they use. It
practice and reinforces existing knowledge requires a systematic approach
with additional information. for the early detection of disease
and follow up action to prevent
It will help you carry out COSHH disease progression as well
assessments, review existing as regain control to prevent
assessments, deliver training and in further exposure of others.
supervising activities involving substances Health surveillance is never an
hazardous to health. alternative to acceptable control of exposure.

The offshore medical shows fitness to work and is NOT health

It is useful for personnel whose
surveillance. However, one conclusion of health surveillance might be
responsibilities include the management
that an individual is fit to continue their work.
of substances hazardous to health on
offshore installations (eg occupational
When is health surveillance required?
health specialists, COSHH assessors,
supervisors etc). It is also useful for
3 Health surveillance is appropriate where:
n exposure to a substance has a known health effect;
trade union and employee safety
n there is a valid method to detect the disease or condition;
representatives.
n it is reasonable to expect that damage to health may occur under

the particular conditions in the workplace;

Following the guidance is not compulsory
n surveillance is likely to benefit the employee.
and you are free to take other equally
effective action. By following all the points
Planning and preparation
in this sheet you will normally be doing
enough to comply with the law. Health
3 Identify potential health hazards as part of your COSHH assessments.

and safety inspectors seek to secure

3 Establish the work activities, job titles and numbers of workers that may
be at risk of the identified health hazards.
compliance with the law and may refer to
this guidance as illustrating good practice.
3 Decide who needs to be provided with health surveillance.
3 Plan what you are going to do and make sure your employees are
aware of your plans.
3 Appoint and involve a competent health professional (doctor, nurse) in
developing your health surveillance programme.
3 Appoint a responsible trained person to implement a health surveillance
programme with the support of the health professional.
Health surveillance OCM7 Special advice

Actions
3 Assess workers’ health before they start a relevant job to provide a
baseline.
3 Introduce regular testing yearly, or as advised by the health
professional. This could involve specific medical surveillance by a health
professional and/or questionnaire-based screening by a trained person.
Ensure the health professional explains the test results to the individual
and reports to you on the worker’s fitness to work.
3 Ensure the health professional interprets the results and identify any
need to revise the risk assessment.
3 Keep health records, and encourage workers to keep a copy of their
results in case they change jobs.
3 Keep simple attendance records to identify any patterns in sick
absence.

Low-level health surveillance

3 Lower-level health surveillance is suggested where there is only weak
evidence of a hazard and/or there is limited potential for significant
exposure, eg low-level health surveillance for a skin irritant may involve
a questionnaire carried out by a trained person.

High-level health surveillance

3 Higher-level health surveillance is suggested where the evidence for
a hazard is clear and/or there is potential for significant exposure, eg
high-level health surveillance for isocyanate paint spraying may involve
questionnaire and lung function assessments carried out by a health
professional.

Roles and responsibilities

Dutyholders
3 The duty is on the employer to provide health surveillance, where
appropriate.
3 Dutyholder to appoint a competent health professional who is familiar
with the industry and the typical range of tasks your employees
undertake.
3 Offshore operators and contractors to cooperate and ensure that
contractor employees are provided with health surveillance, where
appropriate.
3 Employees to take reasonable care to look after their own health by
complying with employers arrangements for health surveillance and
report symptoms of ill health immediately.

Health professional
3 Advise you on a suitable programme with frequencies and types of
surveillance
3 Assess workers’ health before they start a relevant job, to provide a
baseline.
3 Apply health questionnaires as necessary and make regular tests and
clinical observations.
3 Explain the test results and other findings to the individual.
Health surveillance OCM7 Special advice

3 Report to you on the individual’s fitness to work. Useful links

3 Interpret the result trends for groups of workers, provide anonymised Occupational Safety and Health
feedback and identify any need to revise risk assessments. Consultants Register
3 Advise you on how the overall management of occupational health risks www.oshcr.org/
is working and whether any new/additional interventions are needed.
Further information
3 Identify adaptations to work required or limitations on exposure.
Asthma
3 Arrange for referral for diagnosis/treatment as appropriate.
www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/index.htm
3 Follow the basic principles of occupational health and good medical
practice of the General Medical Council. COPD
www.hse.gov.uk/copd/index.htm
Responsible person
Skin diseases
3 To help in identifying health surveillance needs.
www.hse.gov.uk/skin/index.htm
3 To carry out low-level health surveillance for asthma and dermatitis.
3 To keep health records, and encourage workers to keep their own Guidance on health surveillance
record in case they change jobs. Energy Institute
3 Keep simple attendance records to identify any patterns in sick ISBN 978 0 85293 556 9
absence.
You can find the full Offshore
COSHH essentials series at
Health records
www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
3 You should keep a health record for each worker with:
n the activities that can cause ill health;
n the worker’s name, home address and National Insurance number;

n processes or products they work on, and how often;

n protective measures provided;

n date of starting work with the process or product;

n a ‘Fitness for Work’ statement.

3 Should not contain any medical-in-confidence information.

Medical records
3 The occupational health provider will keep medical records. This
information is confidential and must not be released to the employer
unless the employee has given explicit and informed consent.

This guidance was developed by representatives from the UK

offshore oil and gas industry and trade unions, with HSE.

© Crown copyright 2011 Published by the Health and Safety Executive 03/11