Handling Unit: Office of Labor Inspection

People to Contact: Mr. Lin

 Tel:04-22289111#36955

1. ◎ What is the Labor Health Examination?

   According to the Article 20 of Occupational Safety and Health Act, when hiring the employees, the employers shall give them a physical examination. A physical examination here is a body checkup the employers provide to workers to identify their fitness for work and to know whether or not they have unsuitable diseases to works. In-service workers shall have the following examinations:

   1. General health examination: it is a physical examination the employers provide to workers to know the body conditions of workers so that they can offer workers a proper health management like health guideline and fitness for work. Workers will have different examination test times in accordance with their ages or the change of work position. Workers who are over age 65 shall take a physical examination every year, those who are at age 40-65 shall take it every three years and every five years for those who are under 40.  
   2. Special health examination: This examination is for workers that are exposed to special health hazards in their work to help the employer know their body situations and give them a proper health management like health guideline and fitness for work. Their examination test taking time will be based on the hazards in their works.

   ◎ Special health hazard works that need to take Special physical examination:

   1. Work in Heat stress environment
   2. Work in noise environment
   3. Work in Ionizing radiation environment
   4. Work in abnormal pressure environment
   5. Work in lead environment
   6. Work in tera alkyl lead environment
   7. Work in dusty environment
   8. Work in organic solvent environment, the one that designated by Central governing authority:

   (1.) 1, 1, 2, 2- tetrachloroethane   

   (2) Carbon tetrachloride 

   (3) Carbon bisulfide                      

   (4) trichloroethylene  

   (5) tetrachloroethylene 

   (6.) Dimethylformamide   

   (7.) N-Hexane

   9. The work related to the chemical substances manufacturing, storage or usage:
   • Benzidine and its salts
   • 4-Aminodiphenyl and its salts
   • 4-Nitrodiphenyl and its salts
   • β-Naphthylamine and its salts
   • Dichlorobenzidine and its salts
   • α- Naphthylamine and its salts
   • Beryllium and its compound (Beryllium alloy: The compound shall contain no more than 3% of beryllium.)
   • Vinyl chloride
   • Toluene-2,4- diisocyanate or Toluene-2,6-diisocyanate
   • Methylene bisphenyl isocyanate
   • Isophorone diisocyanate
   • Benzene
   • Asbestos (for placement and operation use only)
   • Chromic acid and its salts or dichromates and its salts
   • Arsenic and its compounds
   • Cadmium and its compounds
   • Manganese and its compound (except Manganese Oxide and Manganese trioxide)
   • Ethyl mercury compounds
   • Merchury and its compounds (except organic compounds)
   • Nickel and its compounds
   • Formaldehyde
   • 1,3-Butadiene
   • Indium and its compounds
   10. The manufacturing, storage or usage Phosphorus in work
   11. The manufacturing of Bipyridine and Paraquat
   12. Other works designated by Central governing authority:

   The operation of compounds that will manufacturing, storage or usage over 5% of the following chemicals: Bromopropane.

   ◎How long shall the company keep the records of special health examination?

   The company shall keep the records of special health examination for over ten years. However, the examination records for workers who manufacturing, storage or usage the following jobs shall at least keep them for 30 years, including jobs about ionizing radiation, dusty, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, benzidine and its salts, 4-aminodiphenyle and its salts, 4-nitrodiphenyl and its salts, β-naphthylamine and its salts, dichlorobenzidine and its salts, α- naphthylamine and its salts, beryllium and its compound, vinyl chloride, benzene, chromic acid and its salts, dichromates and tis salts, arsenic and its compounds, nickel and its compounds, 1,3-Butadiene, formaldehyde, indium and its compounds, asbestos and cadmium and its compounds.

   ◎When shall they need to take the special health examination?

   Workers who conduct the specially health hazard work assigned by the employers shall have special health examination when employed or changing the work position, except those who take the examination less than 1 year. In-service labors shall take the special health examination once a year.

   ◎The Health Management Classification for Special Hazard Work:  

   1. The level 1 of health management: The results of special health examination or follow-up examination workers taken are fully normal or partly abnormal. The doctor verdicts workers are health.
   2. The level 2 of health management: The results of special health examination or follow-up examination workers taken are partly or fully abnormal. The doctor verdicts workers are sick, but the sickness is not caused by works.
   3. The level 3 of health management: The results of special health examination or follow-up examination workers taken are partly or fully abnormal, after the analysis, the doctor verdicts workers are sick. However, the sickness may not be associated with work and shall have a specialist for further check.
   4. The level 4 of health management: The results of special health examination or follow-up examination workers taken are partly or fully abnormal. The doctor verdicts workers are sick after the analysis, and the sickness is caused by work.

   If the above examination results of Workers are in the level 2 of health management or above, the doctors shall indicate suggestions about the works that are not suitable for workers and other cautions. And they shall indicate the clinical diagnosis in the special health examination report to workers who are in level 3 or level 4 of health management. 

   ◎How do the employers implement health management for workers?

   The workers who are in the level 2 of health management, the employer shall give them personal health guideline. For those who are in the level 3 of health examination, the employers shall let them take the follow-up examination with the occupational medicine doctors. The doctors shall take on-site evaluation if necessary, and reclassify the results of health management. The final results shall be informed on the Labor Health Protection Management Information Reporting Website (https://hrpts.osha.gov.tw/hrpm/). For those who are in the level 4 of health management, the employers shall take the risk control measures if the working environments are still harmful to the workers after the occupational medicine doctors take on-site evaluations.

    

   ◎ Which units can report and check the records of special health examination and follow-up examination? 

   After taking the special health examination, the employers shall inform the results of special health examination before the 10th days of the next month. If the employers hold the worker’s special health examinations by Medical tour service in company, the employers shall inform the examination schedules on “Labor Health Protection Management Information Reporting Website” (https://hrpts.osha.gov.tw/hrpm/) 10 days ago before taking the special health examination.