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Workplace Health offers occupational health services and advice for UCL staff and professionally regulated students. Read more about these below.
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Jump to this section:
- Occupational health advice
- Referrals for occupational health advice
- Job hazard and health surveillance
- Vaccination service
- Health surveillance
- Research passports
- Drivers health screening
- Food handlers screening
- Additional resources
Occupational health advice
Who can access occupational health services?
- Staff
- PhD students
- Professionally regulated students (PRS) and some other smaller cohorts
- MSc students can access the service at a fee
All other student groups should contact Student Support and Wellbeing.
What we do
We can provide advice to you and your manager on adjustments to work tasks and the working environment.
One of our occupational health practitioners will undertake an assessment and may advise on the need for further specialist advice or assessment as appropriate.
If any adjustments to your work or study, such as tasks or environment, need to be considered we will send advice to the referrer, with your consent. Any advice given will not contain confidential medical detail without your consent.
If you require treatment, investigations or specialist referral, you will also need to consult your GP.
For information about reasonable adjustments and Access to Work for disabled staff, please read information and guidance on disabilities and accessibility.
We can also advise on any adjustments to job roles for those who have had a job offer for UCL and have declared a health condition. After a consultation with the applicant, a report will be sent to them, the hiring manager and the HR Business Partner advising of any adjustments required or limitations the applicant may have.
When to access occupational health advice
- If you are concerned that work is affecting your health and therefore your ability to undertake your role.
- If you are a hiring manager and have concerns about the health of an applicant once a job offer has been made.
New Employees (Job Offer Holders)
If a new starter (offer holder) raises a health issue or their reference highlight a higher than average level of sickness absence and their manager would like further advice, they may wish to complete an ‘on-offer’ referral.
If you have a new member of staff who works with laboratory allergens, human blood or tissue, undertake ‘safety critical’ work or any other hazard please complete the Job Hazard Identification form to request health screening. If you require any further information regarding health screening, please contact the Workplace Health team.
Referrals for occupational health advice
To access support/guidance from Workplace Health we will need a referral.
- A self-referral is appropriate if someone is just looking for some guidance for themselves or wishes to access physiotherapy.
- A management referral is preferable if there are more complex difficulties impacting on your (or your direct report's) ability to do the job or workplace adjustments might be necessary. The process for management referrals means that following a consultation the clinician will then produce a report which is sent to HR Business Partner and the manager and this can include recommendations about potential workplace adjustments.
- If assistive technology or ergonomic equipment (e.g. chairs, standing desk, adapted keyboards, Assistive Software Technology) are required, please contact the Digital Accessibility Services team via digitalaccessibility@ucl.ac.uk for advice. This does not require a referral to us.
- To access counselling please contact the employee assistance programme directly. This does not require a referral to us.
Manager referrals
The following people can make referrals on behalf of employees:
- Those with line management or supervisory responsibilities of the employee
- HR Business Partners
Please see our Manager Referral page for further information.
Professionally Regulated Student referrals
The following people can make referrals on behalf of students:
- PRS’s course director, administrator, programme lead or tutor
On offer referral (health concerns and job applicants)
Hiring managers who have concerns about the health of an applicant once a job offer has been made should complete the On Offer Referral Form.
Self-referral
You can refer yourself directly. Complete the self-referral form and email it to wh.occupationalhealth@ucl.ac.uk
Please note that a self-referral will not generate a report back to your manager/supervisor. If the issue is impacting your ability to carry out your role or you are likely to require workplace adjustments we would recommend speaking to your manager to request a management referral.
Job hazard and health surveillance
Referrals
Managers or designated departmental contacts should complete the
to request health screening. This should be completed in the following circumstances:- New employees to UCL
- If an existing UCL employee is changing roles where a hazard is present
- If an existing UCL employee’s tasks and responsibilities change and therefore presenting hazards change
Vaccination service
Work related immunisation
Certain UCL staff groups, who because of the nature of their work, could be accidentally exposed to biological agents, may be at risk of infection with Hepatitis B.
These staff groups have been identified as those who:
- regularly handle pathogens or potentially infected specimens e.g., laboratory staff, research staff, clinical staff
- cleaning and waste services staff who handle hazardous waste
Hepatitis B is a blood borne virus spread through contact with human blood or tissue. It is the only blood borne virus for which vaccine is available.
Anyone who is exposed to a potential source of the virus should be offered vaccination. Vaccination consists of three injections over the course of a six-month period.
Please complete the
if the above applies to your member of staff.Travel vaccines for work
Workplace Health can advise staff on all aspects of work-related travel health.
To help you get vaccines for work related travelling purposes:
- You must attend a face-to-face consultation with an Occupational Health Adviser (OHA).
- Your manager must complete a and return it to wh.occupationalhealth@ucl.ac.uk Once received Workplace Health will contact you to arrange an appointment.
- Arrange your appointment at least two months in advance of your departure.
Please bring the following to your appointment:
- Details of your travel plans, including dates of travel, countries visiting on route, destinations and type of accommodation.
- Previous vaccinations records with you to your appointment.
Immunisations may need to be given over a period of time as some take time to become effective.
During periods of peak activity, we may not be able to offer travel consultations. In such instances you may wish to contact your own GP or a private travel health clinic and claim any costs back from your department.
If you require prescribed medicines while abroad, please discuss this with your GP.
Health surveillance
Health surveillance is a system of ongoing health checks. The aim of health surveillance is to protect the health of employees, by identifying early signs of ill health relating to workplace exposure.
Routine on-employment health surveillance is undertaken on the following UCL staff groups:
- Laboratory staff (including maintenance staff)
- Clinical academics
- Clinical researchers
- Food handlers
- All employees who drive on UCL business
- General maintenance staff
- Those who work with human blood, tissues or bodily fluids
- Those who work with animal allergens, latex, genetically modified organisms or dangerous pathogens
Health surveillance under COSHH regulations 2002
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), require employers to prevent, or if this is not reasonably practicable, control employees’ exposure to hazardous substances. In addition, regulation 11 of COSHH states that health surveillance is considered appropriate where:
- The exposure of the employee to a substance hazardous to health is such that identifiable disease or adverse health effect may be related to the exposure;
- There is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the conditions of the work;
- There are valid techniques for detecting indications of the disease or effect.
We provide a health surveillance programme for relevant occupational groups at UCL. The occupational groups currently identified work with respiratory sensitisers and in particular laboratory animal allergens (LAA) and latex.
Advice from Safety Services considers the organisational aspects of managing the risks associated with laboratory allergens.
To refer someone for Health Surveillance please complete the
Please note we can offer this service to BSc and MSc students at cost to the department.
Research passports
Staff
Staff with patient contact will also require occupational health clearance from the relevant NHS Trust to ensure compliance with the Trust's infection control policies and associated health-screening procedures and may require a 'research passport'. The employee’s supervisor or line manager will decide if this is required.
Professionally regulated students
Instructions for students:
- Ask your supervisor to complete the Job Hazard Form and send this through to wh.occupationalhealth@ucl.ac.uk.
- With regards to Research Passports and any immunisations that might be needed, please be advised that this service is not offered free of charge to Undergraduate or Master students.
- On receipt of the Job hazard from, we will request an initial payment (currently £40) before it is processed.
- On receipt of the payment, we will process the form and advise on the additional documentation that you will need to send through.
- Our clinicians will review your documentation and wherever possible will sign off your research passport (this may require a brief phone call) without the need for an appointment. However, if you do require a follow-up appointment and any immunisations (at additional cost) we will contact you and let you know.
Drivers health screening
We provide baseline (pre-placement/assignment) and appropriate subsequent health screening for drivers of Group 2 vehicles (vehicles of 3.5 tonnes laden weight or more, or passenger carrying vehicles having 9 seats or more). To refer someone for a Driver’s Health Screening please complete the
Health assessments for UCL drivers
- Drivers of Group 2 vehicles require a health assessment by Workplace Health, in line with UCL policy.
- These health assessments are for drivers of vehicles of 3.5 tonnes laden weight or more, or passenger carrying vehicles having 9 seats or more.
- Following the initial baseline health assessment in Workplace Health, the health assessment is repeated every 5 years after the age of 45, until the age of 65. After the age of 65 the medical is repeated annually.
- The medical standards are aligned to DVLA Group 2 standards. The health assessment includes a health history questionnaire, and a face-to-face consultation.
- In order to arrange the health assessment, the should be completed and submitted to Workplace Health. Upon receipt of the form, Workplace Health will contact you to make an appointment for an in-person health assessment. The outcome of this assessment is shared with UCL’s insurance team in Finance, and the line manager or supervisor.
- In addition to the health assessment, line managers and drivers will also need to ensure that they fulfil other UCL criteria for driving, including whether they must hold a valid DVLA Group 2 driving licence.
Food handlers screening
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 stipulates that employers, so far as is reasonably practical, ensure the health and safety of all employees while at work, and to ensure that other people are not put at risk by any work-related activities.
To refer someone for a food handler screening please complete the
Additional resources
Medical (including mental health) emergencies at work
