Health Surveillance is a term used to depict a wide variety of assessment techniques that can be undertaken in order to detect as early as possible effects that can be caused by occupational exposure to physical and chemical agents in the workplace.

For some processes health surveillance will be effectively mandatory. In other situations the need for health surveillance will depend on the result of risk assessments.

Regular Health Surveillance allows people to be removed from further exposure before any effect becomes harmful or permanent. Sometimes the results of health surveillance will indicate that control measures are inadequate. Health surveillance is required by:-

• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
• The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999
• Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002

Health Surveillance Techniques
The techniques are designed according to the adverse health effect that is likely to be produced. They range from simple skin inspection to complex blood analyses. Two common examples are:-

• Skin inspection of people working with potential skin sensitizers e.g chrome platers
• Lung function testing of spray painters using iso-cyanate paints

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