Medical Surveillance

Employers must provide screening for all employees who will come into contact with potentially dangerous substances.

Required medical screenings vary depending on the types of chemicals employees may come into contact with. OSHA provides details regarding required medical screening in its document Medical Screening and Surveillance Requirements in OSHA Standards: A Guide. In this guide, you can learn about which tests and exams are required for employees working with various chemicals. Depending on the chemical, the following may be required:

• Pre-placement exams that must take place before the employee begins working with the particular chemical
• Periodic exams, and how often they are required (annually, bi-annually, and so forth)
• Exams and tests following an emergency or hazardous exposure
• Exams required upon employee termination
• Exams focusing on certain parts of the body (respiratory system, skin, gastrointestinal, and so forth)
• Chest X-rays
• Pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
• Tests that evaluate an employee's ability to wear a respirator
• Written medical opinions by the physician
• Any other required tests specific to a particular chemical or substance

Employers must also provide the examining physician with the employee's detailed work and medical history reports.

Remember, employers must provide employees with medical examinations during normally scheduled work hours. Should employees need to travel from the worksite for testing, the employer must cover the cost of transportation. However, the employer does not need to provide transportation. Employers must compensate employees for the time they spend for their medical examinations (including travel time for examinations outside normal work hours).

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