What is Fitness for Work?
Fitness For Work means that an individual is in a state (physical, mental and emotional) where the individual is able to perform assigned tasks competently and in a manner which does not endanger the health and safety of themselves or others.
It can also be referred to as Fitness for Duties.
What are the benefits of ensuring Fitness for Work?
Benefits to your employees:
- Workers are only asked to perform tasks that will not put themselves at risk and cause injury
- Workers are given full recovery periods
- Improved morale and motivation
- Increased health awareness and knowledge
- A respectful, caring work environment
Benefits to your business:
- Improved productivity and profit potential
- Minimising risk and creating safer working conditions
- Helping employee retention levels as employees feel valued
- Improved employee relationships and trust within the team
- Proactively manage aging workforce
In the Aging Workforce and with employers worried about fitness for work, can use Wearable Technology such as Preventure can also assist or even manage return to work.
How to ensure employees are fit for work
- Review any pre-employment disclosure forms, and provide applicants with information regarding the inherent requirements of their role to encourage informed disclosures
- Ensure safety policies include fitness for work procedures which enable employees to be assessed during employment
- Train management staff to appropriately address concerns regarding employee fitness for work
- Order fitness for work assessments where there is reason to believe that an employee may not be fit to continue working
- Ensure employees understand their own safety obligations to report any restrictions on their ability to perform their role safely, including where working conditions change.
How can Recovery Partners help?
Recovery Partners can provide the following:
- Drugs and Alcohol test and/or policy
- Fatigue Management
- EAP Services
- Injury Management
- Pre-Employment Screening
- Psychological Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)
- Health Assessments where deemed necessary
If your business needs support with Fitness for Work, contact Recovery Partners today.
Read more about Fitness for Work and refer your client.
Disclaimer – these articles are provided to supply general safety information to people responsible for OHS in their organisation. They are general in nature and do not substitute for legal and/or professional advice. We always suggest that organisations obtain information specific to their needs. Additional information can be found at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/Â