Who is the competent physician?
The competent physician (or occupational physician) is a professional figure who manages the service of
occupational medicine
(more on this topic).
He is an experienced occupational health and safety professional. Protects the health of workers, ensuring companies ensure the good health of their employees. Provides prevention, detection and health surveillance services.
Requirements of the competent physician
The competent physician must be registered with the NationalBoard of Occupational Phys icians and the National Medical Association , and for this requires at least one of the following specializations:
- occupational medicine;
- Preventive medicine of workers and psychotechnics;
- hygiene and preventive medicine;
- forensic medicine;
Or have done any of the following teaching:
- occupational medicine;
- Preventive medicine of workers and psychotechnics;
- Industrial toxicology or in industrial hygiene;
- Physiology and occupational hygiene or in occupational clinic;
In order to fully carry out his duties, he will have to keep up to date continuously, both in medical and jurisprudence, as the latter governs occupational safety.
Three-year refresher programs provide a minimum number of CME training credits. He will be responsible for acquiring the expected portion, not falling below the threshold of 70 percent of the subject’s reported credits for occupational medicine and safety.
The Ministry of Health will be responsible for keeping the national list of competent physicians updated at all times.
The tasks
One of the tasks of the competent physician will be to review the risk assessment document (DVR), organizing the company’s health surveillance plan.
It will liaise closely with the employer and the prevention and protection service, jointly assessing health and safety risks in the workplace.
Once a year, he will generally visit companies for an inspection to assess the absence of environmental hazards.
He is delegated the responsibility for the health surveillance of workers, which is the set of steps and periodic medical checks aimed at protecting the health of employees . This will result in lowering the risks of injury, thus preventing occupational diseases.
- He is entrusted with the health of employees as early as the first preventive examination (which is necessary to verify the worker’s fitness for the intended task);
- to any change in the employee’s job, the competent physician will be responsible for conducting a medical examination designed to assess the employee’s good health condition and suitability for the new job;
- in the cases specified by law, following an absence of more than 60 continuous days, the occupational physician shall conduct a medical examination before resuming work;
- when required by law, at the end of the employment relationship, will be responsible for visiting the worker leaving the job;
- if requested by the employee, shall verify that the request is related to risks to his or her health or aggravation of his or her health condition, brought about by the performance of his or her job;
He or she will be in charge of making the suitability judgment of each worker at each visit and will keep the health records of each one under his or her custody, guaranteeing professional secrecy.
The nomination
The occupational physician in charge of health surveillance of workers is appointed by the employer. It is mandatory for companies when preventive and periodic medical checks on the employee’s health status must occur by law, as the risks are high. The employer may be advised by the prevention and protection service manager (RSPP) or he may choose it himself.
Our Synergos facility supports companies with physician appointment service.
