Asbestos Medicals (Unlicensed)

Medical surveillance should consist of initial and periodic medical examinations.For employees who start non-licensed work with asbestos on or after 1 May 2015 a medical examination must be carried out before such work starts, unless a suitable examination has been carried out in the previous 3 years. Periodic medical examinations must then be conducted at intervals of not more than three years while exposure continues.

The purposes of medical surveillance are to:

• Provide workers with objective information about their current state of health;
• Alert workers to any early indications of asbestos-related disease;
• To warn employees of the increased risk of lung cancer from the combined exposure of smoking and asbestos;
• alert employers or the patient’s own GP, with signed consent, to any particular problems; and
• Emphasise the need for employees to use available control measures and follow good working practices.

Medical surveillance will consist of:

• Completion of the respiratory symptom questionnaire form
• A clinical examination, with emphasis on the respiratory system
• Measurement of lung function, including FEV1 and FVC