Occupational medicals
Annual occupational medicals
Spot work-related health changes early, while you can still do something about them. We run annual medicals with audiometry and spirometry at your site in our mobile units, so your team spends minutes away from work, not hours. We do annual occupational medicals for employers across Cape Town.
Why annual medicals matter
Some work damages health slowly. Noise wears down hearing a little each year. Dust and fumes affect the lungs over time. By the time an employee notices, the damage is often permanent.
Annual medicals, also called periodic medical surveillance, catch these changes early. Each year's results are compared with the employee's baseline and previous medicals. If someone's hearing or lung function has dropped, you can find the cause, improve controls and protect the rest of the team before it becomes a claim.
There's a legal side too. The regulations for specific hazards, such as noise and hazardous chemical agents, require medical surveillance for exposed employees, and the occupational health practitioner sets how often. For most exposures an annual medical is standard practice, and some need more frequent checks. Section 8 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 makes the employer responsible for a workplace without risk to health, and the regulations for specific hazards set out the medical surveillance required.
What's included
Every annual medical is based on the employee's exposures. A typical annual medical includes:
- An updated medical history and job-specific questionnaires
- Vision screening (Snellen chart)
- Height, weight and BMI
- Urine screening, including a glucose indication
- Blood pressure
- A physical examination: heart and lungs, reflexes, eyes and ears
- Audiometry for noise-exposed employees, compared with their baseline
- Spirometry for employees exposed to dust, fumes or chemicals
- An updated certificate of fitness, signed by a SANC-registered occupational health nurse
- Referral advice for anyone whose results need follow-up
The two tests that matter most
Audiometry (hearing)
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common occupational diseases, and it can't be reversed. Audiometry measures each employee's hearing and compares it with their baseline. A change is reported as PLH (Possible Loss of Hearing), which tells you to look at noise controls and hearing protection in that area.
Testing can be done in a soundproof booth or with modern booth-free equipment, and takes about 10 minutes per person.
Spirometry (lung function)
Spirometry measures how much air an employee can breathe out, and how fast. It's used to monitor people exposed to dust, fumes, chemicals and other airborne hazards. A drop compared with earlier results is an early warning, often before the employee notices any symptoms. It takes 5 to 10 minutes.
How it works
- Send us your list. Employees due for medicals, their job titles and their exposures. If you have a medical surveillance plan, send that too.
- We plan the day. We schedule employees in groups around your shifts, so production keeps running.
- The mobile unit arrives. It parks on site, and each employee is called in for their medical.
- Results compared. Each employee's results are compared with their baseline and previous medicals.
- Certificates and a summary. You receive a certificate of fitness for each employee, and a list of anyone who needs follow-up, without disclosing confidential medical details.
How often?
For most employees exposed to a health risk at work, once a year is standard practice. The exact interval is set by the regulation for each hazard and by the occupational health practitioner, and some exposures need more frequent checks. Construction workers' Annexure 3 certificates are valid for up to 12 months.
Employees exposed to noise at or above the noise rating limit of 85 dB(A) need audiometric surveillance: a baseline hearing test when they start, then regular follow-up tests. How often depends on the level of exposure, the regulations and your occupational health practitioner.
The most accurate way to set the right frequency for each role is a health risk assessment of your workplace.
Who needs annual medicals
- Employees in noisy areas: production lines, workshops, compressor and plant rooms
- Employees exposed to dust, fumes or chemicals
- Employees exposed to hazardous biological agents, such as in laboratories and healthcare
- Drivers and machine operators
- Employees who work at height
- Food handlers
industries: Food and beverage manufacturing · Engineering and metalwork · Warehousing · Laboratories · Construction · Agriculture and packhouses
Legal referencesThe Acts and regulations behind this service
| Law | Section | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Section 8 | Employers must keep the working environment safe and without risk to employees' health. |
| Hazardous biological agents regulations under the OHS Act | Medical surveillance provisions | Medical surveillance for employees exposed to hazardous biological agents. |
| Noise-induced hearing loss regulations under the OHS Act | Medical surveillance provisions | Audiometry for employees exposed to noise at or above the noise rating limit of 85 dB(A). |
| Hazardous Chemical Agents Regulations 2021 under the OHS Act | Medical surveillance provisions | Medical surveillance for employees exposed to hazardous chemical agents. |
How long is a certificate of fitness valid?
It depends on the work. An Annexure 3 certificate for construction work is valid for up to 12 months. For other exposures, the regulation for that hazard and the occupational health practitioner set the interval: annual medicals are standard practice, and the practitioner may set a shorter period if an employee's results need closer monitoring.
What is the difference between audiometry and a hearing screening?
Audiometry is a structured hearing test that measures hearing at different frequencies, and it is compared with the employee's baseline to detect noise-induced hearing loss. A basic screening only checks whether someone can hear. Occupational medical surveillance for noise-exposed employees uses audiometry.
What happens if an employee's results get worse?
The nurse records the change, may refer the employee for further assessment and can issue a certificate with restrictions if needed. You receive a summary so you can investigate the cause, for example by checking noise controls or respiratory protection in that work area, without receiving confidential medical details.
Can annual medicals be done without stopping production?
Yes. That's what our mobile units are for. We park at your site, schedule employees in small groups around shifts, and most medicals take 20 to 50 minutes per person, so each employee is away from their workstation for as short a time as possible.
Do office workers need annual medicals?
Office workers with no specific health exposures don't usually need annual surveillance medicals. A baseline medical and good ergonomics are often enough. A health risk assessment confirms which roles need annual medicals, so you don't pay for tests that aren't needed.
Get in touch
Book annual medicals
Send us your headcount and exposures, and we'll plan the day around your shifts.
- Phone064 549 5312
- Emailinfo@bmsholdings.co.za
- AddressThe Colosseum, First Floor, Century Way, Century City, Cape Town, 7441