Pre-employment screening
What is it?
Pre-employment screening is a series of tests designed to provide peace of mind to employers by ensuring your candidates are able to safely do the tasks required.
What is included?
The pre-employment screening is based on the specific role and the identified health risks for your business.
For example:
- If the person will have noise exposure in their role, hearing testing will be undertaken. If there is a hearing loss identified, then it is not later attributed to your company by ACC if a hearing loss claim is made. If the person has exposure to respiratory hazards such as dust or fumes a lung function test is carried out to ensure the individual is able to easily carry out the tasks and can wear respiratory protection if required without further harming themselves.
Pre-employment screening can include the following:
- Medical questionnaire
- Hearing testing (audiometry)
- Lung function (spirometry)
- Vision assessment
- Musculoskeletal assessment
- Functional capacity assessment
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Blood testing
o Immunity status
o Baseline heavy metal testing
Note the tests mentioned are not all required and can be requested specifically or omitted.
Who is it for?
It is applicable to but not limited to the following industries:
- Manufacturing & Processing
- Building & Construction Industry
- Engineering
- Horticulture Industry
- Transportation and Logistics
- Waste Services
- Water/Sewage Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Completing a pre-employment medical ensures candidates are fit for the role they have
applied for and can perform all of the job requirements.
Additionally, this provides the employer with baseline health data for an employee at the beginning of an employment period which can be used for comparison for future tests.
Pre-employment medicals can generally be booked within 1-3 days. The results of the
pre-employment medical are communicated on the day the assessment is completed.
Pre-employment medicals are not required to be completed under Health and safety legislation; however, it does protect the employer for any future ACC claims if the business can show that the individual had an already existing condition such as noise induced hearing loss or reduced lung function.
People change employers more often these days and not all businesses undertake regular health monitoring of their staff, which means some people are unaware that they have
developed noise induced hearing loss or that their lung function has reduced, as they don’t experience any symptoms at the time.