2-12. Utilizing Results from Regular Health Checkups and Strengthening Collaboration with Industrial Physicians

Regular health checkups are an obligation for businesses under the Industrial Safety and Health Act and represent a crucial opportunity to understand the health status of employees. However, rather than treating these checkups as a mere box to be checked, leveraging the results and strengthening collaboration with industrial physicians can lead to the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses and improvements in the work environment. This article explains how to effectively utilize health checkup results and build a strong cooperative system with industrial physicians.

1. Analysis of Health Checkup Results and Trend Identification

While individual health checkup results are important, aggregating and analyzing the overall data can help you grasp the health challenges of your entire organization. For example, if there's an increasing trend in lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure or high blood sugar, you can incorporate this information into health and productivity management measures, such as offering dietary improvement programs or opportunities for exercise. Furthermore, understanding differences in stress and lifestyle habits across departments can lead to improvements in workload and the work environment.

2. Responding to Employees Requiring Re-examination or with Abnormal Findings

Employees who are flagged for "re-examination" or "detailed examination" must be promptly followed up with. The company should encourage them to get re-examined and, after understanding the results, assess any potential impact on their work. Employees at high risk for cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, in particular, should be managed with priority to prevent occupational accidents and sudden health issues.

3. Key Points for Strengthening Collaboration with Industrial Physicians

Based on health checkup results, industrial physicians advise on employees' fitness for work and provide guidance on necessary work accommodations. To strengthen this collaboration, the following points are effective:

• Establish a system for providing health checkup data to industrial physicians promptly.

• Consult with industrial physicians about interview guidance and employment-related measures for employees with abnormal findings.

• Accept improvement suggestions from industrial physicians based on health data during workplace patrols or meetings of the Health and Safety Committee.

• Collaborate with industrial physicians to plan educational training and health promotion programs based on identified health challenges.

  
  

4. Recording and Utilizing Health Checkup Results

The Industrial Safety and Health Act requires that health checkup results be stored for five years, but it's crucial to adopt a perspective of "utilization" rather than mere storage. Centralizing the data as electronic records allows for year-on-year comparisons, enabling the early detection of changes in health status. Furthermore, by thoroughly protecting personal information while reporting trends at the workplace unit level to the Health and Safety Committee, the data can be used to inform company-wide health management policies.

5. Connection to Health and Productivity Management

Actively utilizing health checkup results and collaborating with industrial physicians on preventive measures is directly linked to the "Health and Productivity Management" approach, which has been gaining attention in recent years. Promoting employee health leads to increased productivity and reduced turnover, and also contributes to earning trust from investors and business partners.

Effectively utilizing the results of regular health checkups and strengthening collaboration with industrial physicians is not just about legal compliance; it is the foundation that supports both employee safety and the company's sustainable growth.