Health Surveillance and Atmospheric Monitoring for Hazardous Substances (17i)
This fact sheet provides an overview to employers and employees in the Commonwealth jurisdiction on what health surveillance and atmospheric monitoring is needed when dealing with hazardous substances. It outlines the health surveillance and atmospheric monitoring duties of employers and the activities of medical practitioners under the hazardous substances regulations.
Health surveillance
Health surveillance means the monitoring of workers’ health to identify health effects or other measures of exposure to a hazardous substance. Health surveillance includes biological monitoring, which is the measurement of a hazardous substance in the body such as the level of a substance in the blood or exhaled air.
Health surveillance can assist in minimising the risk to health from hazardous substances by confirming that the absorbed dose is below the acceptable level, by indicating biological effects requiring reduction of exposure and by collecting data to evaluate the effects of exposure.
Further guidance on health surveillance can be found in the:
- Occupational Health and Safety Code of Practice 2008
- National Code of Practice for Control of Workplace Hazardous Substances [NOHSC:2007 (1994)]
- Guidelines for Health Surveillance [NOHSC:7039 (1995)]
Employer's duty to provide health surveillance
The Occupational Health and Safety (Safety Standards) Regulations 1994 (the hazardous substances regulations) require employers to assess the health risks of work if employees are exposed to hazardous substances.
The need for health surveillance should be determined as part of the risk management process when assessing the risks arising from exposure to hazardous substances (see fact sheet Risk Management Approach to Hazardous Substances).
When health surveillance must be carried out
Health surveillance must be carried out if:
- an employee is working in a lead-risk job
- an employee has been exposed to any of the hazardous substances listed in Schedule 2 of the regulations (eg asbestos, crystalline silica, and vinyl chloride)
- the risk assessment has identified that any employee could be exposed to a hazardous substance and:
- there is a disease or health effect that can be caused by that exposure
- there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or health effect could occur under the conditions of work
- there are valid ways of detecting the disease or health effect
In addition, health surveillance must be done if there is a valid biological monitoring procedure available and a reasonable likelihood that accepted values could be exceeded.
Who should perform health surveillance?
Health surveillance must be performed under the supervision of a legally qualified medical practitioner who is adequately trained in the tests or procedures necessary.
If indicated, the health surveillance must include the relevant procedures referred to in Schedule 2 of the regulations.
The employer must consult with employees before selecting the medical practitioner to supervise the health surveillance.
Health surveillance is to be paid for by the employer.
Results of health surveillance
If an employer is advised by a medical practitioner that a disease, health effect, or unsafe exposure to a hazardous substance has been identified in health surveillance, the employer must take action to adequately control that exposure.
In addition to controlling the exposure to the hazardous substance, the employer must ensure that the employee is notified of the results of their health surveillance and provided with an explanation and counselling where necessary.
Comcare must also be advised if any adverse results are detected in health surveillance.
Health surveillance is not a substitute for providing and maintaining adequate control measures.
Health surveillance records
Health surveillance records must be kept by the employer as a confidential record for at least 30 years. The informed consent of an employee must be obtained before any personal health information obtained as a result of health surveillance is provided to another person.
In general, health surveillance records should only be used on a confidential basis or "in aggregate" where group records do not identify individual employees.
Records are to be handed to Comcare for safe keeping should an organisation cease to exist and have no legal successor.
Atmospheric monitoring
Atmospheric monitoring involves the use of valid and suitable techniques to derive a quantitative estimate of the exposure of employees to hazardous substances.
Monitoring involves the periodic and/or continuous sampling of workplace atmospheres to derive a quantitative measure of exposure to hazardous substances through inhalation. There must be a relevant exposure standard against which to compare the results obtained.
Further guidance on health surveillance can be found in the:
- Occupational Health and Safety Code of Practice 2008
- National Code of Practice for Control of Workplace Hazardous Substances [NOHSC:2007 (1994)]
- Guidance Note on the Interpretation of Exposure standards for Atmospheric Contaminants in the Occupational Environment [NOHSC: 3008 (1995)] and its amendements
Employer's duty
The hazardous substances regulations require employers to assess the health risks of work if employees are exposed to hazardous substances.
The need for atmospheric monitoring should be determined as part of the risk management process when assessing the risks arising from exposure to hazardous substances (see fact sheet 17g - Risk Management Approach to Hazardous Substances)
When to undertake atmospheric monitoring
Monitoring is required as part of the assessment of risk where it is necessary to obtain a quantitative estimate of exposure, or to determine the effectiveness of measures introduced to control exposure.
If the level of atmospheric contamination routinely approaches the relevant exposure standard, there should be a review of the control measures to ensure that exposure is controlled as far as practicable.
Who should perform atmospheric monitoring?
Only a competent person who has sufficient knowledge, skills and experience in the appropriate techniques and procedures should carry out monitoring.
Procedures for monitoring should detail:
- when and how the monitoring is to be done
- the sampling procedures and analytical methods to be used
- the sites and frequency of sampling
- how the results are to be interpreted
- Results of atmospheric monitoring
The results of monitoring must be recorded. The records should contain sufficient detail to determine:
- the hazardous substances concerned, what the results were and when the monitoring was done
- what monitoring procedures were adopted including the duration of sampling
- the locations where samples were taken, the operations in progress at the time and, in the case of personal samples, the names of those individuals concerned
- whether the results reflected normal operating conditions
- how the results were interpreted
- the effectiveness of control
The results of monitoring should be provided to those employees with the potential for exposure to hazardous substances subject to monitoring.
Atmospheric monitoring records
The records of monitoring may be kept in any form, but in all cases the information should be readily accessible and in an easily understood form. Records should be kept in such a way that the results can be compared with any health records required under the health surveillance requirements of the regulations.
The records of monitoring shall be kept for at least 30 years from the date of the last entry made in the records.
Records of workplace monitoring should be readily accessible to employees, employee representatives and relevant public authorities.
More information
Other fact sheets in this series
Additional fact sheets in this series on hazardous substances:
- 17a - Hazardous Supstances: Regulations, Codes of Practice & Guidance Material
- 17b - What is a Hazardous Substance?
- 17c - Material Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Substances
- 17d - Labelling of Hazardous Substances
- 17e - Information Employers Must Obtain and Provide about Hazardous Substances
- 17f - Information Manufacturers and Suppliers Must Provide about Hazardous Substances
- 17g - Risk Management Approach to Hazardous Substances
- 17h - Training Employees Should Have about Hazardous Substances
Government authorities
Safe Work Australia:
- contact by phone: 02 6121-5317 or
- visit www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Contact Comcare
For further information, contact Comcare's Hotline:
- by phone on 1300 366 979
- by email at ohs.help@comcare.gov.au
Contact:
Phone: