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HR Newsletter #87 July 2016 (Health Assessments for Nightshift Workers)

Nightshift workers must have an annual health assessment

This is a reminder only (the law has not changed on this procedure) Under the Working Time Regulations (Sec 7) states that before you allow an employee to undertake any night shifts they must have undertaken a Health assessment. Night work is defined as working between the hours of 11pm and 6am. Night workers are those employees who spend at least 3 hours of their working day between the hours of 12 midnight and 5 am or have some part of their working rota scheduled onto a nightshift. This heath assessment does not have to be a GP/ Medical examination; a health questionnaire is sufficient (see att. example) Employers must offer to carry out a heath assessment (free of charge) for night shift workers before they start night shift and on a regular basis thereafter (suggest annually). The employees do not need to accept this offer if they do not want to take the assessment. The assessment should be developed by a suitably qualified health professional and should involve a questionnaire and if the questionnaire raises doubts then this should be followed by an examination.