Fitness to Work and Medical Response
- Minimum fitness for duty standards are to be established and applied for specific work and working conditions where there are critical occupational health or safety requirements.
- Appropriate health-related policies are to be in place encompassing, as a minimum, the use of alcohol and drugs, and other substances that may impair performance.
Reasons for fitness to work medical assessment
- Establishes health status before starting
- Protection of the health and safety of the employee and his workmates.
- Detect inability to do the job efficiently or safely hence - Fit person to job
- Inform individual of hazards & prevention measures. Shows you care
- Reduce costs to employer/organization, hospital bills
- Reduce sickness absence
All proposed new employees shall undergo a pre-employment medical examination to be conducted and report signed by a PDO-approved Medical Practitioner in accordance with the requirements stipulated in SP1230 specs.
- All Omani National employees and expatriate employees should undergo routine medical examinations every 5 years for those under 40 years of age, every 2 years for those between 40 and 60 and annually for those above 60.
- Please note for a certain classified HSE critical jobs such as fire fighters and rescue workers, caterer and food handlers, breathing apparatus wearers, drivers, frequent business travelers, radiation workers, people working offshore or in remote locations are required to undergo fitness to work medical evaluation every 2 years regardless of their age.
This is achieved when –
- The location or business has identified all worker groups whose specific work or working conditions require a minimum fitness for duty standard.
- A minimum fitness for duty standard has been defined for each of these groups.
- There is a system in place which allows managers to appropriately identify employees in these groups and review their status regarding the minimum fitness for duty standard.
- There is an alcohol and drug abuse policy in place which meets local legislation and the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Employment Guidelines.
