SECTION III

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Health surveillance
Article 8
1
With the objectives of the prevention and timely detection of any adverse health effects, as well as the prevention of any long-term health risks and any risk of chronic diseases, resulting from exposure to optical radiation, Member States shall adopt provisions to ensure appropriate health surveillance of workers pursuant to Article 14 of Directive 89/391/EEC.
2
Member States shall ensure that health surveillance is carried out by a doctor, an occupational health professional or a medical authority responsible for health surveillance in accordance with national law and practice.
3
Member States shall establish arrangements to ensure that, for each worker who undergoes health surveillance in accordance with paragraph 1, individual health records are made and kept up to date. Health records shall contain a summary of the results of the health surveillance carried out. They shall be kept in a suitable form so as to permit consultation at a later date, taking into account any confidentiality. Copies of the appropriate records shall be supplied to the competent authority on request, taking into account any confidentiality. The employer shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the doctor, the occupational health professional or the medical authority responsible for the health surveillance, as determined by Member States as appropriate, has access to the results of the risk assessment referred to in Article 4 where such results may be relevant to the health surveillance. Individual workers shall, at their request, have access to their own personal health records.
4
In any event, where exposure above the limit values is detected, a medical examination shall be made available to the worker(s) concerned in accordance with national law and practice. This medical examination shall also be carried out where, as a result of health surveillance, a worker is found to have an identifiable disease or adverse health effect which is considered by a doctor or occupational health professional to be the result of exposure to artificial optical radiation at work. In both cases, when limit values are exceeded or adverse health effects (including diseases) are identified:
a
the worker shall be informed by the doctor or other suitably qualified person of the result which relates to him personally. He shall, in particular, receive information and advice regarding any health surveillance which he should undergo following the end of exposure;
b
the employer shall be informed of any significant findings of the health surveillance, taking into account any medical confidentiality;
c
the employer shall:
- review the risk assessment carried out pursuant to Article 4,
- review the measures provided for to eliminate or reduce risks pursuant to Article 5,
- take into account the advice of the occupational health professional or other suitably qualified person or the competent authority in implementing any measure required to eliminate or reduce risk in accordance with Article 5, and
- arrange continued health surveillance and provide for a review of the health status of any other worker who has been similarly exposed. In such cases, the competent doctor or occupational health professional or the competent authority may propose that the exposed persons undergo a medical examination.