The Biosafety network includes Doctors with a specialty in Medical Work and Doctors of other specialties that are included in the list of the Ministry of Social Security & Social Solidarity and have the legal right to assume the duties of an Occupational Doctor. The provision of services of the Occupational Doctor is a basic employer obligation, which is provided by the current legislation (Sanction of the Code of Laws for the Health and Safety of Employees, KNYAE 3850/2010, article 8, par. 2).
Companies that employ 50 or more employees are required to use the services of an Occupational Doctor. In addition, if specific harmful factors are used in the company (P.D. 186/1995), the Occupational Doctor should be employed regardless of the number of employees in the company.
Duties and responsibilities of the Occupational Doctor
The Occupational Doctor provides written or oral instructions and advice to the employer, the employees and their representatives. The advice concerns the measures to be taken for the physical and mental health of employees. Their role includes the following actions:
- Carrying out a medical examination of employees after their employment or in the event of a change of job
- Conducting a periodic medical check-up
- Arranging for medical examinations and factor measurements
- Assessing the suitability of the employees for the job and issue a certificate that notifies the employer
- Overseeing the implementation of health protection and accident prevention measures
- Inspecting jobs, reporting omissions, suggesting countermeasures and overseeing their implementation
- Explaining the correct use of PPE
- Investigating the causes of diseases, analyzing and evaluating the results and suggesting preventive measures
- Supervising compliance with the rules, informing about risks and ways to prevent them
- Providing emergency treatment in case of accident or sudden illness
- Running vaccination programs
- Maintaining medical and company confidentiality
The Occupational Doctor has an obligation to refer to employees for specific additional medical examinations, which are carried out by consulting companies such as Biosafety and other appropriate private or public structures.