Assigning a Designated Health Professional

It is management's responsibility to implement and train employees for a Medical Surveillance Program. But who designs a Medical Surveillance Program?

A Medical Surveillance Program must be designed by an experienced occupational health physician "or other qualified occupational health consultant." (You will learn more about these qualifications in just a moment.) This professional must collaborate with the Site Safety Officer to create the Medical Surveillance Program.

Another important aspect of a Medical Surveillance Program is the Director, who is appointed as the Site Director for the Medical Surveillance Program. OSHA states that this "should be a physician who is board-certified in occupational medicine or a medical doctor who has had extensive experience managing occupational health services." However, OSHA also notes that "a director and/or examining physician with such qualifications may be difficult to find, due to the shortage of doctors trained in occupational medicine in remote geographic areas where many hazardous waste sites are located." In these cases when an occupational health physician is not available, OSHA states that the site's medical program "may be managed, and relevant examinations performed, by a local physician with assistance from an occupational medicine consultant."

A qualified Registered Nurse (preferably an Occupational Health Nurse) who works under the direction of a "suitably qualified physician who has responsibility for the program," may also perform these functions.

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