Medical Surveillance Program - Frequency of Medical Examinations

Throughout employment, workers (as defined in the previous slide) must have ongoing medical examinations and after-incidents examinations.

Ongoing examinations should occur at least once every 12 months for each employee covered (unless a physician approves a longer interval).

After an incident, medical surveillance should occur as soon as possible:

• Upon notification by an employee that the employee has developed signs or symptoms indicating possible overexposure to hazardous substances or health hazards
• Upon notification that the employee has been injured or exposed above the permissible exposure limits or published exposure levels in an emergency situation
• Following the emergency incident or development of signs or symptoms
• If an employee may have been injured, received a health impairment, or developed signs or symptoms which may have resulted from exposure to hazardous substances resulting from an emergency incident
• If an employee is exposed during an emergency incident to hazardous substances at concentrations above the permissible exposure limits (or the published exposure levels without the necessary PPE being used)

All employees must also receive medical examinations prior to beginning work and upon termination. Medical surveillance should also occur upon employment termination or reassignment to an area where the employee would not be covered if the employee has not had an examination within the last six months.

Note that these are minimum requirements. OSHA states that examinations may occur at more frequent or additional times "if the examining physician determines that an increased frequency of examination is medically necessary."

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