As an employer, you must ensure the health, safety, and overall welfare of your employees. But you are also entitled to hire whomever you think is suitable to work for your company. And one of the best ways to do this is to have candidates go through a pre employment medical assessment before hiring them.
What is a pre-employment medical assessment?
A pre-employment medical assessment provides a baseline health examination for workers before you hire them. It is carried out to make sure that a candidate is physically and mentally fit to work in a specific environment. This is generally done for new employees, but existing employees transitioning to another job role may also need to undergo this assessment.
This may include testing for the following.
- Vision
- Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI)
- Urinalysis
- Musculoskeletal system
- Cardiovascular health including blood pressure, pulse, and heart check
- Abdominal abnormalities and hernia
- Respiratory health
Other pre-employment medical checks that may be required depending on the candidate’s work and medical history include the following.
- Audiometry or hearing test
- On-site drug and alcohol testing
- Spirometry or lung function test
- Work fitness assessments or functional capacity evaluations
- ECG
- Chest x-ray
- Pathology services
Why is it required?
A medical check by a pre-employment medical Hemmant expert is primarily done to check the applicant’s suitability for a certain job. However, it also helps you understand and manage the medical risks and conditions of potential and even existing employees. This way, you can avoid unknowingly putting them in danger.
Some jobs also have standards and legal requirements that must be met before a worker can be employed and deployed. This includes the national standards for Rail Safety Workers’ medical, Commercial and Heavy Vehicle driving, and Queensland Coal Board Medical. This process assesses the suitability of the worker for the position and working environment they will be exposed to. It also ensures that they are not at increased risk of injury to themselves and their co-workers.
Medical check-ups conducted by pre-employment medical Murarrie professionals help protect not just the company from hiring the wrong person. It also protects the potential employee from starting in a new position without understanding or knowing if they can meet the demands of the job. The employee may end up quitting, which means the recruitment process starts all over again. Or worse, the worker may get injured. Aside from disrupting business operations, this may also lead to compensation claims.
Benefits of pre-employment medical examination?
Here are some of the benefits of conducting pre-employment medical exams.
- A decrease in workplace injuries
- Safer working environment
- Minimizes downtime
- Reduces recruitment costs
- Lessens workers’ compensation claims
- Matches workers with the appropriate job for them
Concluding thoughts
Aside from protecting employers, pre-employment medicals also help protect employees from getting injured. So, when people see that your company asks for this as part of the employment process, they’ll know that you are serious about workplace safety and health. However, do make sure that you get the services of a reputable medical centre like Carina Medical and Specialist Centre to ensure quality medical exams. They also offer flu vaccination for your employees. For more information, visit us at: https://carinamedical.com.au/
