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Occupational Health Services

Workplace Health offers occupational health services and advice for UCL staff and professionally regulated students. Read more about these below.

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Occupational health advice

Who can access occupational health services?

All other student groups should contact Student Support and Wellbeing instead.

Further information can be found on our page explaining how to access health support at UCL as staff, students or postdoctoral researchers.

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.

Exceptions

Types of referrals

Management referral

management referral form 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. 

The following people can make referrals on behalf of employees: 

  • Those with line management or supervisory responsibilities of the employee 
  • HR Business Partners / Employee Relations team

Further information:

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 

A self-referral form is appropriate if you are looking for some guidance for yourself or wish to access physiotherapy. You can refer yourself directly by completing the self-referral form

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.

Professionally Regulated Student referral

The following people can make referrals on behalf of students: 

  • PRS’s course director, administrator, programme lead or tutor. Click here to access our student referral form.

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Job hazard

Managers or designated departmental contacts should complete the Job Hazard Identification form to request health screening. This should be completed in the following circumstances: 

  • New employees to UCL where a hazard is present 
  • 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

Job hazards include:

  • Exposure to animial allergens, human blood / fluid / tissue / infectious agents
  • Working directly with Hep B virus and/or Diphtheria toxin
  • Safety Critical Environments (e.g. working at heights, cat. 3 laboratories)
  • Low Oxygen Environment
  • Latex
  • Raw sewage
  • Regular night shifts
  • Food handler (if stipulated on job description)
  • Vocational driving (if stipulated on job description)
  • Overseas work-travel / secondment or NHS placements
  • Chemicals labelled H334

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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 Job Hazard Identification form if the above applies to your member of staff.

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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 Job Hazard Identification form. 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.  

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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 Job Hazard Identification form.

Please note we can offer this service to BSc and MSc students at cost to the department. ​​​​ 

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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. 

Students

Instructions for students:

  • Ask your supervisor to complete the Job Hazard Identification 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.

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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 Job Hazard Identification form.

Health assessments for UCL drivers

UCL staff that require a health assessment by Occupational Health, in line with UCL policy are:

  • UCL staff who are required to drive Group 1 or Group 2 vehicles as part of their UCL role, and where this is laid down in their job description. The health assessment will form part of the job application process and will be assessed against the Group 2 standards for all drivers where driving is part of their job description. The health check will be repeated at 5 yearly intervals from age 45 and annually from age 65 in line with the Health and Safety Executive Medical Standards for Drivers
  • UCL staff who drive a Group 2 vehicle voluntarily on UCL business. The health assessment will be repeated at 5 yearly intervals from age 45 and annually from age 65, if the requirement to drive on UCL business continues.  The staff member and manager are responsible for ensuring this is completed.  
  • UCL staff who drive a minibus on UCL business

Following the initial baseline health assessment, 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 Job Hazard Identification Form should be completed and submitted to Workplace Health.

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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 Job Hazard Identification form.


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Night workers

The Working Time Regulations 1998 define night time as the period between 11pm and 6am. A night worker is defined as someone who normally works at least three hours a night on a regular basis.

Managers have a responsibility to:

  • notify Workplace Health (WH) of employees who meet the definition of ‘night worker’ by submitting a Job Hazard Identification form.
  • consider reasonable adjustments to work (including opportunities for redeployment) as advised by WH where night work is found to have an adverse effect on employee’s health, or where an underlying health condition is exacerbated by night work.

Employees have a responsibility to:

  • indicate whether or not they wish to take up the opportunity for a health assessment when offered by Workplace Health

Occupational health services has a responsibility to:

  • offer staff identified by managers as night workers the opportunity for health assessment
  • provide an outcome report, with the employee’s consent, and advise on adjustments to work as appropriate

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