Nurse Practitioner Deborah Schuchardt (right) reviews a recent lab report with Shyam Sharan, a participant in the Medical Surveillance Program.
By Theresa Bell, Guest Writer?
If you work in a laboratory, or you have contact with animals or animal materials, you work with human biomaterials or infectious agents, or you are exposed to radiation or other hazards in your day-to-day duties, you should be enrolled in the appropriate medical surveillance program.
Managed by the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Program and administered by Occupational Health Services (OHS), the medical surveillance program at NCI at Frederick is designed to prevent occupational diseases as well as laboratory-acquired infections, and protect the overall health and safety of all employees at NCI at Frederick.
When you are hired, your supervisor should fill out a medical surveillance enrollment form to identify the risk associated with your position and enroll you in all necessary medical surveillance programs.
The medical surveillance form should then be updated every year, to determine whether you need additional (or, possibly, less) protection. You may need to review your risk assessment with an OHS nurse practitioner, to be sure you are getting the protection and training you need.
Surveillance testing and training is performed by OHS in conjunction with EHS, for respiratory protection, hearing conservation, and other regulated chemical, biological, radiological, or physical hazards. Confidential records are maintained for employees, and copies are available upon written request. OHS staff nurse practitioners conduct initial and periodic physical examinations to ensure the good health of employees.
This process ensures continuous compliance with occupational health medical surveillance programs and regulatory requirements.
If you have not had your medical surveillance form updated or your job duties have changed within the last 12 months, please see your supervisor.
Supervisors: Keep Your Employees Safe
Please be sure you have completed a medical surveillance enrollment form for each employee you supervise, as well as for all new hires. Forms for new employees should be submitted to EHS immediately upon hire, to ensure that these employees are provided with all medical surveillance needs before beginning their jobs.
If you have any questions concerning medical surveillance, please contact EHS at 301-846-1451.
The medical surveillance form may be found at: http://home.ncifcrf.gov/ehs/uploadedFiles/Medical%20Surveillance%20Enrollment.pdf
Theresa Bell is a biosafety officer, Environment, Health, and Safety Program