What Is a Company Doctor?
A company doctor comes from the field of occupational medicine. The aim of a medical specialist is to detect diseases at an early stage through occupational health screening, which can occur due to hazards at work. In the context of occupational health screening of companies by a company doctor is often referred to as the occupational health service.
The occupational health service has fundamentally an advisory function in the areas of occupational safety and health promotion. The occupational health service assists companies in fulfilling the legally required medical preventive measures towards the staff.
When Must the Occupational Health Service Be Appointed?
The Occupational Safety and Health Act provides that the occupational health service should be appointed when the operational hazards or the size of the company requires it. Which extent a medical consultation should have, results from the UVV for company doctors and specialists for industrial safety. All regulations are listed there. For companies with fewer than ten employees, medical care is regulated without fixed assignments.
Tasks of the Occupational Medical Serviceasks of the Occupational Medical Service
Only physicians who either have a specialist training in occupational medicine or an additional qualification in occupational medicine are eligible for occupational medical checkups.
In order to be able to guarantee appropriate occupational medical care, the medical staff must be in constant dialog with the employees and the occupational safety specialist. This can enable occupational health conditions to be recorded and examined in the best possible way.
The occupational health service is intended to ensure that occupational accidents and occupational diseases can be prevented in good time. Through a wide variety of preventive examinations, which arise from the occupational health screening, a healthy environment can be created for employees.
Tasks of the occupational doctor or the occupational health service are as follows:
Consultation:
- on occupational health and safety
- on the procurement of work equipment
- on the selection of personal protective equipment
- on risk assessments
- on occupational health and safety
- on the procurement of work equipment
- on the selection of personal protective equipment
- on risk assessments
Implementation
- Performance of occupational health screening
- Regular workplace inspection
- Health protection training
- inspections of conditions and defined targets
Position of the Occupational Health Service
Occupational doctors report to the company management. In addition, they are free from instructions in their work and advice and are subject only to their medical conscience. Company doctors are subject to medical confidentiality, also with respect to the company.
Only the results of examinations may be disclosed to employers. This disclosure is important for the company, because only in this way can a decision and assessment be made about further measures. For the disclosure information, the consent of the employee is required.