Occupational health checklists

Basic occupational health contract

Since 1 July 2017 every employer in the Netherlands must have a basic contract with an occupational health service or occupational physician. Check that your contract covers the following.

• The occupational physician supervises absence and reintegration.
• The occupational physician carries out the periodic occupational health examination (PAGO or PMO).
• The occupational physician carries out pre-employment examinations, if your organisation uses them.
• Employees can consult the occupational physician, even without complaints or absence (open consultation).
• The occupational physician has free access to every workplace.
• Employees can request a second opinion from an occupational physician at another service or practice. The employer pays.
• The occupational physician has a complaints procedure, and your employees know how it works.
• The occupational physician works with the prevention officer and can advise the works council or staff representatives.

Is your RI&E in order?

1. Do you employ staff?Then you must draw up a risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E) with an action plan. Without staff this is not required.
2. Is your RI&E up to date?If your organisation, the work or the workplace has changed, update the RI&E.
3. Has your RI&E been reviewed?With at most 25 employees and a recognised sector instrument, no review is needed. Recognised instruments are listed on rie.nl. In all other cases the RI&E is reviewed by a certified occupational health expert or service.
4. Has the works council consented?After the review the RI&E and action plan go to the works council or staff representatives, who have a right of consent. Employees may inspect the RI&E.
5. Are you carrying out the action plan?An RI&E only works when the measures in the action plan are carried out and followed up.
6. Is there a prevention officer?Every company appoints at least one prevention officer. With at most 25 employees the employer may take this role. A works council or staff representatives consent to the person and the position.
7. Do you offer periodic examinations?Employees must be offered a periodic occupational health examination (PAGO or PMO), geared to the risks in the RI&E.

Pre-employment examination: is it allowed?

A pre-employment medical examination is only allowed when the job places special demands on medical fitness, and the risks cannot be reduced with customary measures.

• You record the special job requirements, and the purpose and content of the examination, in writing.
• You ask the occupational physician for written advice on the examination before you have it carried out.
• The works council or staff representatives have consented, before the recruitment procedure starts.
• The examination only takes place once the rest of the selection is complete and you intend to hire the candidate.