Medicals

Healthwork has doctors specifically appointed by the HSE to perform these statutory appointed doctor medicals:

Lead medicals
Under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, employees carrying out work duties which involves exposure to lead will require a regular medical review which may include blood testing with an HSE appointed doctor.

Asbestos medicals
Under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2006, employees who are exposed to asbestos above certain defined levels need to be under medical surveillance which can only be done by an HSE appointed doctor.

Ionising radiation medicals
Under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 (IRR99), employees with potential exposure to ionising radiation need to be under regular medical assessment by an HSE appointed doctor.

Every offshore worker must undergo and pass a medical examination which classifies him or her as medically fit to work in the offshore environment.

As part of this medical assessment, Healthwork will ask you complete an extensive health questionnaire and then you will be seen by one of our nurses before being physically examined by one of our approved doctors.  All medicals will take place in out spacious and comfortable offices at 16 St John St, Manchester.

You will be provided with a certificate after the assessment.  The certificate will usually last for 2 years.

Regulations
The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 aims to protect workers from risks to health from vibration.  Employers must follow the regulations and where necessary protect the health of their employees and implement health surveillance procedures when appropriate.

Risk Assessment and Health Surveillance
Healthwork can support employers in the prevention of HAVS by working with employers to understand and work through the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.  This will involve adequate risk assessments and where appropriate the implementation of a health surveillance programme.

Our health surveillance programme is based on the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 and involves a 5 level approach as recommended in the regulations.  Healthwork would work with employers to set up a system for carrying out tier 1 and tier 2 surveillance (by questionnaire).  Our nurses are qualified to carry out more in depth tier 3 assessments and our doctors are trained and qualified to carry out tier 4 assessments.  In rare cases, we can organise standardised testing as part of tier 5 surveillance.

At every stage of the health surveillance programme, Healthwork produces individualised recommendations in each case seen, with relevant certificates produced.

Fork Lift Truck Drivers Medicals
Healthwork’s team of occupational health nurses is very experienced at performing fork lift truck driver medicals.  We are familiar with the guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and have many years of experience performing these medicals and offering advice to employers and employees.

We can come onto the employer site to perform these medicals or we can perform them from our own premises.

HGV or Bus Drivers
Healthwork can carry out your HGV medical.  These are required to be performed:

On first application of your provisional Category C1 (7.5t), C (rigid) or D1 (minibus), D (bus) licence
5 yearly between ages 45 and 65
Annually after the age of 65 
Our doctors will complete the DVLA D4 form at the time of the medical assessment.

Crane Drivers and other vocational drivers
Healthwork can arrange a variety of medicals with bespoke assessments based on the industry and the risks within the particular workplace.  We have experience of performing driver medicals in a variety of high risk occupational sectors.

We are therefore an accredited supplier to the rail industry. 

Trackside and other rails workers must have regular medical assessments to demonstrate their medical fitness.  The PTS medical is a Network Rail requirement according to guidelines issued by Network Rail and Rail Safety & Standards Board. Only RISQS approved suppliers/providers can perform these medicals and Healthwork has been an approved RISQS supplier/provider for a number of years.

The RISQS auditor praised Healthwork describing us as having "comprehensive job descriptions", and we were praised on having "developed an excellent rail specific internal audit tool".  The auditors were also impressed that we deliver a physician led medical assessment service.

We can also provide excellent and experienced Office of the Rail regulator (ORR) approved Responsible Authorising Physician services for all aspects of PTS work.

We perform Kazakhstan medicals, Afghanistan, Saudia, and medicals for Canada and New Zealand for visa purposes.

Additionally, we can adapt many of our medicals to cover almost any group of workers.

Drug Testing and Screening Services
We can perform drug and alcohol tests either at our offices in central Manchester or on the sites of our clients.
Healthwork performs a 7 drug screening test using a single collection and instant testing system (the 7 Drug Integrated Test Cup).  We use the 7 Drug Integrated Test Cup which tests for:

• Amphetamines
• Benzodiazepines
• Cannabis
• Cocaine
• Methadone
• Methamphetamines
• Opiates

All our drug testing procedures follow a strict Chain of Custody path and all our staff are fully trained and conversant with chain of custody procedures.  Where a result is positive, the sample will need to be sent to the laboratory for confirmation.  Healthwork has arrangements with laboratories for this and during this process strict chain of custody procedures are adhered  to.  We can perform pre-arranged drug and alcohol testing such as pre-employment or random testing and this makes up the majority of our drug and alcohol work.  We can also arrange for ‘for cause’ testing to be performed at short notice.

Alcohol Testing
We offer a Breathalyser Test for Alcohol.  Our trained occupational health staff use the AL-600 Alcometer to perform breath alcohol testing.

Drug and Alcohol Policies and Procedures Development
We will work with you to design a Company Specific Drug and Alcohol Policy for your business and we will help you implement it.  Our staff will do this by:

• working with management to understand the organisational culture
• understanding  the nature and hazards of your business
• creating and helping you implement a new drug and alcohol policy
  

Training

Chain of Custody Training

We can provide chain of custody and drug/alcohol training to enable you to perform drug testing on site.   

Drug and Alcohol Awareness Training

Healthwork has training packages and material available to run training workshops for managers and staff. A typical training course lasts one day and is designed for groups of 10-15 people. 
Training is designed to help managers and staff:

• understand the different types of drugs
• identify the signs of potential drug or alcohol misuse
• understand how the testing / screening processes work
• understand support services available and ehabilitation

Why Healthwork?
Healthwork has experience in providing occupational physiotherapy services health services.  We can organise physiotherapy services for our clients nationally in a number of convenient locations. 

Healthwork staff
Healthwork’s experienced occupational health physiotherapists are all fully trained and very experienced at working with employers and employees.  Our physiotherapists are able to provide a variety of effective and modern treatments such as ultrasound and laser therapy.  All our physiotherapists hold either the MSc Physiotherapy or BSc Physiotherapy qualification.

Physiotherapy Services
Healthwork works closely with our clients to develop bespoke, needs-based occupational health packages appropriate to their needs which can include streamlined, rapid access to early intervention therapies such as physiotherapy to further support employees’ recoveries and assist them back to work or support them whilst remaining at work.

Healthwork’s trained physiotherapists are able to treat a number of musculoskeletal problems, including:

• Tennis elbow
• Carpel tunnel syndrome
• Back pain
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Physiotherapy following joint surgery or fractures
• Arthritis
• Advice and training on general fitness

Training
Healthwork physiotherapists are available to organise training days and training programmes for managers and for employees.  We have organised a number of ‘musculoskeletal’ training packages which have been received extremely well by both employees and managers.

HSE’s definition of work related stress is “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work”.

Work related stress is prevalent in the UK and unconfined to particular jobs or employment sectors. Tackling work related stress is a key organisational issue and one that the HSE is keen to support through its development of guidance on stress risk assessment and management i.e. the management standards approach.Organisations can manage and control stress by improving work conditions, undertaking stress audits and managing individual cases effectively and effeciently.   

Why Healthwork?
Healthwork is well placed to use its considerable experience in dealing with work-related stress to assist employers in their management of stress in their workforce. Healthwork’s experienced occupational health practitioners and counsellors are able to advise you on aspects of employee stress including meeting relevant statutory requirements, policy development, risk assessments, individual assessments and provision of support to employees.

Training
We offer bespoke training and awareness programmes for employees and managers on the issues of work related stress and its management in the workplace.

Risk assessment involves hazard identification, hazard evaluation, exposure assessment, and risk estimation. Adequate risk assessment  enables proactive control of risk and is important in complying with health and safety legislation.

Why Healthwork?
We can use our extensive  experience to assist and inform companies in undertaking risk assessments and in developing health and safety policies.  Healthwork’s experienced occupational health practitioners are well positioned to advise you on aspects of risk assessment and your statutory requirements in respect to these.  

Wide range of risk assessments
Healthwork can advise on a wide range of risk assessments, including:

• Statutory Risk Assessments e.g. COSHH risk assessments, Noise surveys
• Stress Risk Assessments and stress audits
• Individual Employee Risk Assessments
• First Aid Assessments
• Manual Handling Risk Assessments
• Ergonomic Risk Assessments
• Pregnant Worker Risk Assessments

Training
We offer bespoke training and awareness programmes for employees and managers in the conduction and interpretation of risk assessments.