In the light of advice from Public Health England on COVID-19, HSE has set out in guidance (attached), a proportionate and flexible approach to enable health/medical surveillance to continue. It applies where workers are undergoing periodic review under several sets of health and safety regulations.
The guidance balances the current constraints presented by the COVID-19 outbreak and the need to protect the health, safety and welfare of workers.
The guidance will be subject to review.
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR)
“To undertake medical surveillance under CAR, appointed doctors can establish the worker has no significant symptoms by using a respiratory symptom questionnaire undertaken remotely. Providing there are no problems, they can then issue a new certificate for three months. Those with problems can be assessed further, for example, by telephone in the first instance. A judgement can then be made on whether to see the worker face to face and, if so, how to do so safely.”
Covid-19 HSE Occupational Health Provider Guidance on Health Surveillance
Published on Friday 20th March 2020