Occupational Health Services

New Starter Health Questionnaire

Guidance Document

This document is designed to help departments understand how to correctly complete the role hazard identification section of theNew Starter Health Questionnaireand clarify the next steps Occupational Health Services (OHS) will take to advise on the fitness to start in the role and enrolment on an OHS Health Screening Programme.

Departments should follow the 4 steps below:

  1. Suitable risk assessments of all departmental activities should be undertaken to identify areas of risk. This is generally done by members of the department with the assistance of the local Area or Departmental Safety Officer (ASO or DSO).
  1. Complete the hazard identification table on the Questionnaire based on the outcomes of these departmental risk assessments. Refer to the table below for explanations of each hazard and inclusion criteria where appropriate. Send the Questionnaire to the applicant to complete.
  1. Upon receipt of the completed Questionnaire from the applicant, OHS will assess their responses to the relevant questions and provide departments with advice regarding the applicant’s fitness for the role as well as any recommendations.
  1. If advised in the recommendations, departments should enrol the applicant on Health Screening Programmes by completing the HS1 form.

Any existing employees undertaking these activities will also need to be enrolled using the same HS1 form if not already done so.

OHS currently provides Fitness to Work Assessments and Health Screening Programmes for the activities listed below:

Activity / Definition and Inclusion Criteria / Fitness to Work Assessment Decision
(Prior to start of work with hazard) / Enrolment on a Health Screening Programme
(Post start of work with hazard)
Working at Heights / Working at heights is defined as any activity where there is a potential risk of falling two or more metres.
Any activity where there is a potential fall of less than two metres such as small step ladders are not to be included.
Work on areas with balconies or mezzanine levels where there are suitable hand or guard rails to prevent falls are not to be included. / /
Periodic paper screen
Night Working / A night worker is classified as an individual who regularly works for more than three hours during the period 11pm to 6am. / /
Periodic paper screen
Lone Working / A lone worker is classified as someone who works for long periods in isolation from other colleagues where if something were to happen to them, they would not be discovered immediately. / /
Periodic paper screen
Work in Hot or Cold Environments / Cold work is classified as work in an environment below +4°c for significant periods of time.
Hot work is classified as work in an environment above +30°c for significant periods of time.
Does not include work outside. / /
Periodic paper screen
Noise at Work / Noise at Work is defined as either of the following:
  • Work in any environment with a peak noise level of over 135dB(C)
  • Work in any environment with an ambient average noise level of 80dB(A)
/ Currently not available
Work with Vibrating Equipment / Work with Vibrating Equipment is defined as work with any vibrating machinery with the potential to cause Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). / Currently not available
Driving a University Vehicle / Any activity involving driving any University vehicle including Fork Lift Trucks.
Does not include personal vehicle use or commuting to and from places of work. / /
Initial medical followed by periodic paper screen
Working with Ionising Radiation / Registration with the Safety Office is required of all employees who work with Ionising Radiation samples.
Anyone designated as a classified worker will then require Health Surveillance.
Refer toguidance on the Safety Office websitebefore indicating this hazard is present. / /
Initial medical followed by periodic paper screen
Open Food Handling / Anyone undertaking the handling or preparation of food for human consumption. / /
Working with Category 3b or 4 Lasers / Anyone undertaking work with Category 3b or 4 Lasers. / /
Working with Infectious Pathogens (Hazard Groups 2 or 3) / All employees working with Pathogens in a Containment Level 3 Facility or with any Pathogen (including Containment Level 2 work) that has a recognised vaccine. / /
Vaccination course
Working with blood, human products and human tissues / Anyone working with or handling human blood, products or tissues.
Does not include museum specimens. / /
Vaccination course
Work in clinical areas with direct contact with patients / Any clinical staff with direct physical contact with patients.
Does not include administrative staff. / /
Vaccination course
Work with Allergens
E.g. laboratory animals, pollen, dust, fish or insects etc. / Following identification of hazard in a risk assessment. / /
Initial medical followed by periodic paper screen
Work with any substance which has any of the following pictograms on their MSDS:

/ Following a risk assessment for the use of a substance with one of these pictograms shown on their Material Safety Data Sheets that is not sufficiently managed by control measures in place.
Also includes chemical hazards created by carrying out work activities not sufficiently managedby control measures e.g. products of reactions identified in risk assessments with similar properties as those captured by the pictograms/ / /
Initial medical followed by periodic paper screen
Manual Handling / Any employee who undertakes high levels of manual handling activities or activities with heavy or awkward lifts.
Does not include acceptable day to day manual handling activities around an office. / /
Regular travel outside of the UK on University Business / Any employees who travel regularly outside of the UK on behalf of the University as part of their role. / /