Lead & Asbestos Medicals

Keep your employees and business safe

Under HSE regulations, companies that undertake certain work activities with specified hazards must ensure that relevant employees have suitable medicals.

At Connexus Health & Rehabilitation, we have in-house HSE Appointed Doctors, who are approved to carry out these medicals by the Health & Safety Executive.

**Please note this service is only available in our Warrington Clinic**

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0808 1963 688
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HSE Lead Medicals

Requirements for lead medicals differ greatly between businesses, and are dependent on the activities being carried out, as well as the existing control measures in place.

An Initial Medical Assessment should be carried out before an individual starts working with lead, and certainly within 14 working days after first exposure. This provides a baseline lead level and therefore helps to determine if the individual is fit to work with the substance.

Workers should usually then have their blood lead levels measured every 3 months and have a periodic medical assessment with an HSE Appointed Doctor no less than every 12 months. though the exact frequency should be tailored to the individual and their circumstances.

Our qualified and experienced doctors can carry out all necessary assessments, whilst our HSE approved partner laboratory will perform blood and urine lead tests and analysis.

Asbestos Medicals (Health Surveillance)

For those working with asbestos, regulations state that medical surveillance is necessary.

The purposes of this medical surveillance are to:

Provide workers with information about their current state of respiratory health
Alert workers to any early indications of asbestos-related disease and advise them on whether they should continue working with asbestos
Warn workers of the increased risk of lung cancer from combined exposure to smoking and asbestos
Alert employers or the worker’s GP (with consent) to any particular problems
Emphasise the need for workers to use available control measures and follow good working practices

During our medical assessment and to meet the requirements of Regulation 22 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations, the appointment comprises of the following, delivered by our inhouse, HSE Appointed Doctors who are approved to deliver these medicals by the Health & Safety Executive:

A medical and occupational history
Completion of a respiratory symptom questionnaire
Clinical examination
Lung function testing (spirometry)

Following this, a certificate of medical examination is provided to the employee and employer, which confirms that medical surveillance under Control of Asbestos Regulations was carried out. The employer must keep the certificate for at least four years from the date of issue.

How often do I need to have an Asbestos Medical?

The frequency of your medical depends on whether you undertake
Licensed or Notifiable Non-Licensed Work

Licensed Work

Licensed work involves greater potential exposure to asbestos and so medicals for this type of work must be undertaken:

1. By an HSE appointed doctor,
2. Initially no more than two years before beginning exposure to asbestos, and then,
3. At least every 2 years while exposure continues.

Notifiable Non-Licensed Work

As the potential asbestos exposure level is lower than in licensed work, these medicals must be undertaken at least every three years. These medicals can be undertaken:

1. By any GMC registered doctor with a license to practice,
2. Initially no more than three years before beginning exposure to asbestos, and then,
3. Periodically at least once every 3 years while exposure continues.

Fitness for Work

Certificates of fitness/unfitness for work with asbestos are not required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations.

For some conditions associated with licensed work, such as working in enclosures, wearing respiratory protective equipment (RPE) or working at height, fitness assessments may be required under other regulations, such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

In these circumstances, the employer should arrange a Fitness for Work examination in addition to the asbestos medical.

We can offer Fitness for Work assessments in addition to the Asbestos Medical (if required as per the risk assessment), for which a separate certificate will be provided.