As a business owner, you have an important responsibility to ensure all your employees or workers are in good health at all times. All the more so if your company is engaged in industries, like mining, which may expose people to certain hazards, like dust and fumes. In this case, not only should you facilitate medical tests on your new hires, but also on those leaving your organisation for certain reasons.
This is where an exit medical examination comes in. It ensures their health has not been compromised by their job and protects your business from financial liabilities due to non-compliance.
Exit Medicals: What Are They?
Exit medicals are a procedure that companies should have to set a baseline for the health of workers leaving their organisation. In Australia’s coal mining industry, they are a requirement as part of the Order 43 programme that protects the well-being of miners. Depending on your situation, they can be facilitated at designated Order 43 medical locations or in-house with the help of occupational physicians.
If a health issue or injury is identified in an employee during these tests, you will be able to manage and treat it immediately, preventing it from becoming worse beyond treatment. You will also be protected against any possible legal disputes and future insurance claims. Most importantly, you will be able to send workers off with a better understanding of their current well-being and the ability to monitor potential health risks if they have any.
Why Should You Have Exit Medicals in Your Business
Having a policy in place to facilitate an exit medical examination when needed brings about a number of benefits to your business. Here are just some of them.
1. Increased Employee Morale and Loyalty
When your employees know that they are well taken care of and valued, they will feel good about working for your company. As a result, the morale of your entire team will be boosted, which greatly contributes to better performance and productivity. Not only that, but your employees will be happy to stay with your company.
Needless to say, regular health checks will make a good impression on your employees and on other people who want to engage with your business, such as job applicants and potential clients. So, depending on your requirements, you should not hesitate to tap on the services of an occupational physician or occupational hygienist Queensland has today when the need arises.
2. Reduced Insurance Claims
Conducting exit medicals and other occupational health checks for your employees reduces the expenses from insurance claims, if not avoid them entirely. After all, when you prove that a worker is leaving your company in a healthy state, no one could blame you for poor health practices or for any medical condition they would acquire thereafter. In a way, it gives you actual documentation that shows your business is doing everything you can to monitor and ensure the health of your employees.
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3. Essential Support for an Ageing Workforce
Regular health checks, including vulnerable workers risk assessment, will help ensure a healthy ageing workforce. If you have workers who are aged 65 years or older, you will be able to determine and manage certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and vision disorders, which they may have developed while working for your company. This will also set them up for better and happier retirement years down the road.
4. More Savings
As previously mentioned, conducting medical assessments for your employees will protect you from the costs due to insurance claims. According to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than half a million Australians were estimated to have had work-related injuries and illnesses from 2017 to 2018, which resulted in millions of dollars in claims.
Now, with occupational medical assessments, you are preventing these expenses from incurring and protecting your business’s financial health.
5. Positive Corporate Image
Conducting exit medicals demonstrate you care for your employees. This compassion will go beyond your organisation and reach other people who may be looking at your company as a prospective employer or business partner. This will bring you more opportunities for growth.
Takeaway
When conducting an exit medical examination or any other health assessments for your workers, you should hire an organization that specialises in occupational health and uses a standard approach in managing risks that might be present in your work environment. So, do your research, seek recommendations from other businesses, and read reviews. Sure enough, you will be able to find a company that will suit your needs.
Remember—occupational health does not only provide you and your workers with priceless benefits. It also makes your business compliant with medico-legal aspects. So, it is important to have the right health care provider that will work with you every step of the way to achieve the best possible outcomes.
For more useful tips on managing and growing your business, check out our other articles!
