Health surveillance: Why it matters for your workforce

While every business wants to keep its people safe and healthy, some working environments come with specific health risks that require closer monitoring — often by law. That’s where health surveillance plays a vital role.

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What is health surveillance?

Health surveillance is a proactive approach to monitoring the health of employees who may be exposed to certain risks in the workplace. We offer a complete range of screening services, including:

• Health surveillance checks – audiometric and respiratory function testing, HAVS assessments and dermatological checks for employees who are exposed to noise, hazardous substances (e.g. solvents, dust and fumes) or vibration while at work
• Statutory medical surveillance and biological monitoring – for employees working with ionising radiation, asbestos, lead and certain other high-hazard substances
• Night Worker screening

These ongoing surveillance checks enable you to identify any clinical signs of occupationally induced illness or disease at an early stage, so that where appropriate, individuals can be referred for diagnosis and adjustments put in place to prevent further problems developing.

We also provide:

• Fit for Work medicals: for employees working in safety critical roles at height, in confined spaces, trackside or operating site vehicles or heavy plant machinery
• General health screening: BMI, blood pressure checks, urine dipstick testing, musculoskeletal checks and vision checks

These medicals and general health checks help you stay compliant with industry regulations and best-practice. They ensure that individuals employed in safety critical roles are fit to perform their duties safely, without risk to themselves or anyone who may be affected by their work. If required, they can also be combined with various health surveillance checks and alcohol and drug screening.

What industries require health surveillance?

Health surveillance and fit to work medicals are especially vital in industries where employees face higher exposure to physical, chemical or biological hazards. These include:

• Construction and engineering – where risks include exposure to noise, vibration and dust and working at height, in confined spaces or around heavy machinery
• Manufacturing and heavy industry – where employees may come into contact with chemicals or fumes or be operating hazardous machinery
• Healthcare laboratories, pharmaceutical research, and other scientific settings — where there is a risk of exposure to biological agents or hazardous substances.
• Agriculture and forestry – where workers may be exposed to agrochemicals (such as herbicides or pesticides) or zoonotic diseases, or be required to operate hazardous or heavy machinery
• Transport and logistics – where roles may involve night work, safety-critical tasks, or exposure to vibrating tools and high noise levels

In these sectors, health surveillance and fit to work medicals play a key role in protecting employee health and ensuring legal compliance.

Improve employee health and safety

By identifying potential health risks early, health surveillance helps prevent long-term illness and injury. Whether it’s monitoring hearing loss in noisy environments or checking respiratory health in those exposed to dust or fumes, these assessments ensure that employee health is protected. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of serious incidents and helps create a safer, more supportive workplace.

Reduce sickness absence

Work-related illness can lead to increased absenteeism, reduced productivity and higher costs. Health surveillance helps tackle this head-on by identifying issues early and supporting employees to stay well and at work.

With regular occupational health assessments, you can spot trends, intervene early, and reduce the impact of sickness absence on your business.

Show employees they are cared for

Investing in health surveillance sends a clear message: your people matter. When employees see that their health is being actively monitored and supported, it creates trust, boosts morale, and improves engagement.

It’s a simple but powerful way to show that you’re committed to their wellbeing – not just because you have to, but because you genuinely care.