We specialise in providing your company a range of services delivered by an experienced team of nurses with Occupational Health and Safety qualifications. These can be done on-site, at your workplace, or at our office.
The Health and Safety in Employment Act amendments of 2002 have made employers responsible for managing hazardous behaviours in the workplace. These hazardous behaviours put all staff in a âSafety Sensitiveâ work environment at risk. A drug and alcohol testing programme helps employers ensure all employees behave safely and that any incident of unsafe behaviour is thoroughly investigated. Once a company policy has been established in consultation with employees the appropriate testing can be done. This may be at pre-employment, post incident, post accident, randomly or for reasonable cause. Testing can be carried out in the workplace or at our offices â whatever best suits the client.
All our nurses are accredited (NZQA 25458) collectors of samples for drug urine testing. Samples can be tested on-site or sent away to an accredited Laboratory for analysis. On-site instant testing is carried out in accordance with AS/NZ Standard 4308:2008. Our Nurses are accredited testers (NZQA 25511).
Breath Alcohol testing is carried out in accordance with AS standard 3547-2000(Type 11). Testing is available on-site or in our office. Results are available instantly.
These procedures are the âGold Standardâ that the law requires, ensuring that best practice testing procedures are best practice. Companies who do not use Gold Standard practices are very exposed to litigation.
In workplaces where noise is a significant hazard the employer must eliminate the hazard if practicable, and where significant noise sources cannot be controlled, provide hearing protection and monitor the hearing of workers to ensure they are not sustaining damage to their hearing.
Our Occupational Health Nurses are all trained in hearing testing and the interpretation of the results. They can also provide education on the effects of noise on health to ensure individuals understand what they must do to reduce the risks of hearing loss. Hearing protection is also checked to ensure it is in good condition and that workers know how to use it correctly.
It is a requirement under AS/NZS 1715:2009 âUse and maintenance of respiratory protective devicesâ that all wearers of face masks undergo annual fit testing. The purpose of the test is to verify that each wearer has a mask that provides an effective seal against contaminants in the atmosphere. Initial and refresher education is included, covering donning and doffing of respirator and the use, care and maintenance of the device.
We offer both Qualitative and Quantitative Testing. We now have a portacount machine in both the North and South Islands.
Quantitative Testing A quantitative test employs the use of a âPortaCountâ device. This allows the effectiveness of the maskâs seal to be measured while the wearer simultaneously performs a series of movements while breathing and talking â designed to simulate actual working conditions. The PortaCount determines whether an adequate face seal is achieved by measuring the amount of leakage into the mask. The device provides a precise numerical measure and documentation which satisfies the record keeping requirements of the standard. We recommend this test. Each episode takes approximately 15-20 minutes per wearer to perform.
Qualitative Testing
This is a more subjective method. Again the wearer performs a series of exercises, whilst a non-toxic solution is sprayed into a hood sitting over the head and shoulders. It relies on the ability of the wearer to taste the solution or not. This testing episode takes 20-30 minutes to perform.
Please note: For fit-testing to be undertaken, employees must be clean shaven (wet or electric razor) â within the last 8 hours â and should not have eaten, drunk, smoked, vaped or chewed gum in the 30 mins prior to testing
Vision screening is important to ensure that your employees have visual acuity and colour vision perception adequate for the tasks that their job requires. Good vision is necessary for people to perform their work safely and comfortably.
In the workplace staff may encounter hazardous substances â either as part of a chemical process, or contaminants generated by certain work activities. Welding fumes, quarry dust, sawdust, and plant/animal aerosols are all examples of common air contaminants in the workplace. The masks and respirators worn to combat these are most effective if in good condition and used correctly. The employer is still required to monitor the health of individuals wearing this personal protective equipment by engaging qualified occupational health nurses to undertake lung function testing on their employees. A questionnaire relating to previous occupational exposure will be completed by each employee at the time of testing.
Biological monitoring involves the collection of bodily fluid, usually blood and or urine, from your employee which is then tested to see if their heavy metal level is above normal range. Depending on the various types of exposure, pre-exposure and post-exposure samples may be needed and the frequency throughout the year can vary. The lab results for the post-exposure biological sampling is compared to the New Zealand Biological Exposure Indices along with the pre-exposure levels to ascertain whether the results are within acceptable limits. Legally, these tests are required for demonstrating that your hazard and risk management controls are effective, and the PPEâs are also effective.
Once the biological results and analysis has been completed, we will prepare a written report for your company and employee files. This information may also be requested by Worksafe NZ or employee GP. An electronic copy will also be maintained in our database. We have two occupational medicine specialists available for consultation if an employee returns a high level and is feeling unwell.
Contact us today to discuss whether biological sampling is something you require.