Everything you need to know about pre-placement assessments...

“What are pre-placement assessments, and do I need them?”

Occupational Health can be quite complex at times, and it’s understandable that as employers, you’ll have questions. With pre-placements, health surveillance, ergonomics and lots more terminology- who wouldn’t?

That’s if you’re not working in the occupational health industry, of course! Not to worry though at UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing, we’re here to support you with occupational health knowledge, and to answer any questions you may have.

So, what are pre-placement assessments?

Pre-placement assessments are conducted during an employee onboarding stage. They help ensure that new employees are mentally and physically fit to carry out the tasks their jobs require, without putting themselves or others at risk.

The assessments take into consideration the biopsychosocial model; how biological, psychological, and socioeconomic factors play a part in an individual’s health. This helps us to identify potential health risks that might impact how employees carry out their work tasks and enables us to provide supporting advice.

Pre-placement assessments mean that as an employer, you can provide a safe and healthy working environment, protecting employees from dangers and hazards.

How do pre-placement assessments benefit your business?

• You ensure a prospective employee is medically suited to their role
• They identify if a prospective employee’s health is likely to be put at risk
• You can monitor changes to an employee’s health and wellbeing over time
• They ensure Health and Safety legislation is taken into account and met
• Ensures that the requirements of the Equality Act are covered, allowing the employer to consider adjustments and support for vulnerable or disabled employees

The benefits listed above also lead to more benefits in the long run. For instance, checking employee’s health before they start their role means that any health risks can be identified, preventing any worsened conditions later down the line that would lead to increased sickness absences. Furthermore, protecting the safety of employees also means that there’s less likely to be future risks, again reducing absences but also reducing the costs of absence and potential damages.

The health and safety of employees will also contribute towards keeping employees happy at work, improving retention and recruitment rates. It’s important that employees feel like they’re cared for and that they have support when they first enter their role in the onboarding stage- it’s a hidden part of branding that can set up the success of a business…

What do pre-placement assessments entail?

Once a job offer has been made, we can provide a bespoke health assessment that suits the unique needs of your business and risk profiles. We then provide the information gathered and have it reviewed by our very own in-house clinicians, so that they can recommend whether an employee is fit for work with their job role and demands. This can then lead to other reasonable adjustments in the workplace so that issues can be resolved.