What are pre-employment medicals?

Pre-employment medicals are comprehensive health examinations commonly used by employers to identify candidates who meet the health and safety requirements of a particular role.

How do pre-employment medicals benefit the employer?

In addition to simplifying the recruitment process, well-tailored pre-employment medicals can optimise company productivity by:

• reducing workplace injuries and minimising worker downtime
• reducing insurance claims and costs associated with high employee turnovers
• allowing employers to implement risk mitigation strategies relevant to their workers’ health.

Pre-employment medicals can also protect the employer by:

• identifying previously unrecognised or poorly managed health conditions
• providing baseline/reference data which may be used to determine the role of the workplace in causing or exacerbating an underlying health issue.

What do Sonic HealthPlus pre-employment medicals include?

Our multidisciplinary occupational health teams can conduct standard pre-employment medicals or tailor health assessments to match your exact industry and workplace requirements.

All pre-employment medical testing is conducted by a team of accredited nurses, exercise physiologists and physiotherapists, and all physical examinations are conducted by a certified doctor.

Pre-employment medicals may include any combination of the following:

Health screening

• The candidate’s previous and current medical history (e.g. vaccinations, injuries, underlying health conditions and disabilities) are recorded.
• A general assessment of the candidate’s blood pressure, vision, height and weight and urine analysis is conducted for standard signs of overall health.

Blood testing

• Based on the health screening, a blood test may be required to screen for specific medical conditions, e.g. high cholesterol or diabetes.

Drug testing

• Drug testing is typically performed for candidates working with heavy machinery or in safety-sensitive positions.
• Drug and alcohol testing (DAS) measures blood alcohol concentrations and screens for use of illicit drugs.
• An instant DAS can be conducted using either a breath test or urine sample, with immediate results. A lab DAS uses a urine sample and produces more accurate results, although these take longer.

Respiratory health – spirometry

• A spirometry tests a candidate’s overall lung function and capacity and is typically required for workers in physically demanding jobs or those exposed to hazardous substances long-term.
• Candidates blow into a mouthpiece at pre-determined intervals and the output is used to assess lung function.

Hearing test – audiometry

• An audiometry test assesses a candidate’s hearing capabilities and is typically required for workplaces where noise levels necessitate hearing protection.
• Candidates enter an audiometer booth and are tested on their ability to hear variations in sound intensity and pitch across numerous thresholds and frequencies.

Musculoskeletal and fitness assessments

• A musculoskeletal (bones, muscles and joints) assessment assesses the candidate’s ability to meet the physical requirements of their role
• Our accredited exercise physiologists assess the candidate’s range of motion, flexibility, upper body and core strength, weight lifting capacity and general fitness

Other assessments

Depending on the industry and workplace, medicals can also include physical assessments of:

• cardiovascular health (heart function)
• central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
• oral health (mouth)
• abdominal (gut) health
• skin.

Specialised and legislative medicals

Sonic HealthPlus also offers periodic medicals (completed over the candidate’s job span), ongoing health surveillance and a range of specialised medicals for niche industries. These include:

Aviation

• Civil Aviation Safety Authority Medicals

Maritime and offshore

• Australian Maritime Safety Authority Medicals
• Norwegian Seafarers Medicals
• Oil and Gas UK & Offshore Medicals
• Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) Medicals

Resource sector and rail

• Rail Safety Worker Medical
• Resource SectorMedicals comply with:
  • QLD Coal Mine Workers Health Scheme
  • MMQ Health Surveillance for Respirable Crystalline Silica
  • Health Monitoring Requirements for the NSW Coal Industry

What should your candidate know before coming in?

All candidates should ensure to:

• arrive on time to their nearest Sonic HealthPlus clinic
• bring valid photo ID (e.g. driver licence or passport)
• bring any labelled prescriptions and current medical reports
• if required, bring corrective glasses and a Ventolin puffer or bronchodilator (any inhalers/puffers should be withheld on testing day)
• avoid loud noises, smoking, vaping and consumption of caffeine up to eight hours prior to the medical.

Click here to view detailed preparation checklists for each specialised assessment. For further information about our pre-employmental medical services and our tailoring options, contact Sonic HealthPlus today.