Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00423:body:0:p33
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00423
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 85423–88437

6.2         Health monitoring
Regulation 435-444 A person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure health monitoring is provided to a worker if they are carrying out licensed asbestos removal work, other ongoing asbestos removal work or asbestos-related work and are at risk of exposure to asbestos when carrying out the work.
Health monitoring includes a medical examination to provide an initial baseline medical assessment. Health monitoring must include the following (unless another form of health monitoring is recommended by a registered medical practitioner):
    * consideration of the worker's demographic, medical and occupational history
    * consideration of records of the worker's personal exposure
    * a physical examination of the worker with emphasis on the respiratory system, including standardised respiratory function tests unless another form of health monitoring is recommended by a registered medical practitioner.
Workers must be informed of any health monitoring requirements before the worker carries out work that may expose them to asbestos.

When should health monitoring occur?
Where a worker is at risk of exposure to asbestos due to work other than licensed asbestos removal, health monitoring must also be undertaken. Examples of work where there is a risk of exposure include ongoing unlicensed removal work, undertaking maintenance work on ACM regularly as part of another job (for instance, electricians or building maintenance staff in older buildings) and carrying out asbestos-related work. The need for health monitoring for these workers should be determined on the basis of:
    * the potential for exposure
    * the frequency of potential exposure
    * the duration of the work being undertaken.
If a worker is carrying out licensed asbestos removal work, the health monitoring must be conducted prior to the worker commencing the work. Health monitoring should also be provided to the worker at regular intervals after commencing the asbestos-related work but at least once every two years.

Who can carry out health monitoring?
Health monitoring must be carried out under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner with the relevant competencies. Prior to deciding who the registered medical practitioner will be, the person conducting a business or undertaking must consult the worker.

Who pays for health monitoring?
The person conducting a business or undertaking must pay all expenses relating to health monitoring.
Where there are two or more persons that have a duty to provide health monitoring to a worker, they may choose that one person organises health monitoring (known as the person who commissions the health monitoring), however the costs must be shared equally between each person unless they agree otherwise.

What information must be provided to the register medical practitioner?
The person who commissions health monitoring must provide the following information to the registered medical practitioner:
    * their name and