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Health surveillance is one of the general protective measures for safeguarding the health of students and workers exposed to occupational risks capable of causing harmful effects.

Health surveillance involves a medical examination conducted by the competent doctor, a specialist in occupational medicine, to assess the fitness of workers for the specific job they have been assigned to.

The health conditions of workers are analyzed in relation to the risks they are exposed to.

The Competent Doctor collaborates with the Prevention and Protection Service, also for risk assessment purposes. From an organizational perspective of medical visits and diagnostic assessments (dates, times, etc.), the Competent Doctor relies on dedicated personnel belonging to the Prevention and Protection Service, which interacts with Faculty, Technical-Administrative Staff, Students, Fellows, Interns, and "150" hour students for scheduling purposes.

• The medical examination by the Competent Doctor may include:
• Pre-employment medical examination
• Periodic medical examination
• Medical examination at the worker's request
• Medical examination when changing job
• Medical examination before returning to work after an absence due to illness exceeding 60 days
• Medical examination upon termination of employment (only in specific cases)

Specific procedures are managed in the "Pregnancy" section, even in cases of pregnancy.

Health surveillance is aimed at:

• Students enrolling in study programs that also involve teaching in chemical or biological laboratories
• University staff, which includes employees as well as Fellows, Interns, and "150" hour students.

Health Surveillance is mandatory for all workers and their equivalents who perform activities for which the Risk Assessment Document highlights professional risks requiring health monitoring.

The medical examination related to the health surveillance protocol drafted by the Occupational Health Physician may also include clinical and biological tests, as well as diagnostic investigations. In certain cases provided by the Legislator, the competent physician may order verification of the absence of alcohol dependency and the use of psychotropic substances and narcotics.

The examinations and assessments, besides being authorized, are provided at no cost to the employee. The location where they are carried out is the UCO Occupational Medicine at via della Pietà 2/2 in Trieste.

Based on the results of the medical examination, the Occupational Health Physician issues one of the following judgments regarding the specific job:

• Fitness judgment
• Partial, temporary, or permanent fitness judgment, with prescriptions or limitations
• Temporary unfitness judgment, specifying the time limits
• Permanent unfitness judgment

This judgment is delivered and transmitted to the worker as well as to the hierarchical superior of the human resource (Department Director, Office Head, Sector Head, etc.).

There are certain cases provided for by the legislator in which, at the end of the employment relationship, the Occupational Health Physician summons the worker for a medical examination, the costs of which are fully borne by the University.

This is particularly provided for in cases of:

• exposure to chemical risk
• exposure to biological risk of groups 3 and 4
• risk from exposure to carcinogens and mutagens

The medical examination serves to:

• assess the worker's health status
• provide any indications regarding medical prescriptions to follow
• provide any indications on the advisability of undergoing further examinations even after the cessation of exposure