Workers' health surveillance (adapted from the ILO Technical and ethical guidelines for workers' health surveillance, 1998)

• Author: International Labour Organization
• Pages: 187-189

Meetings-MESHA-Final Code-2010-10-0355-1-En.doc/v2 187

Appendix I

Workers’ health surveillance

(adapted from the ILO Technical and ethical guidelines for

workers’ health surveillance, 1998)

1. General principles

1.1. Competent authorities should ensure that laws and regulations governing workers’

health surveillance are properly applied.

1.2. Workers’ health surveillance should be carried out in consultation with workers and/or

their representatives:

(a) with the central purpose of primary prevention of o ccupational and work-related injuries and

diseases;

(b) under controlled conditions and within an organized framework, as may be prescribed by

national laws and regulations and in accordance with the Occupational Health Services

Convention, 19 85 (No. 161), and Recommendation, 1985 (No. 171), and the ILO Technical

and ethica l guidelines for workers’ hea lth surveillance, Occupational Safety and Health

Series, No. 72 (Geneva, 1998).

2. Organization

2.1. The organization of workers’ health surveillance at different levels (national, industry,

enterprise) should take into account:

(a) the need for a thorough investigation of all work-related facto rs and the nature of occupational

hazards and risks in the workplace which may affect workers’ health;

(b) the health requirements of the work and the health status of the working population;

(c) the relevant laws and regulations and the available resources;

(d) the awareness of workers and employers of the functions and purposes of such surveillance;

(e) the fact that surveillance is not a substitute for monitoring and control of the working

environment.

2.2. In accordance with the needs and available resources, workers’ health surveillance

should be carried out at national, industry, enterprise and/or other appropriate levels. Provided that

surveillance is carried out or supervised by qualified occupational health pr ofessionals, as

prescribed by national laws and regulations, it can be undertaken by:

(a) occupational health services established in a variety of settings, e.g. within one enterprise or

among enterprises;

(b) occupational health consultants;

(c) the occ upational and/or public health facilities available in the community where the

enterprise is located;

(d) social security institutions;

(e) worker-run centres;

(f) contracted p rofessional institutions or other bodies authorized by the competent authority;

(g) a combination of any of the above.

2.3. A comprehensive system of workers’ health surveillance should:

(a) include individual and collective health assessments, occupational injury and disease

recording and notification, sentinel event notification, surveys, investigations and inspections;