I am not sure if i am interpreting your question correctly. With high levels of radon exporsure by miners, or similar industry workers they can be at an increase risk of getting lung cancer. High levels can also be linked to childhood leukemia, but the evidence is mixed. This is because radon are absorbed mainly by inhaling because of the short distance so it is unlikely that it would affect other tissues (See cancer.org with the Radon and Cancer section).
I am not sure if this helps but you can see some information on this site too.
Brendan;
We work with employees who manage Bovine outbreak.
While we have a testing program for employees to my knowledge there are no formal programs for ranchers(someone out there may be aware). Ranchers should be referred to their family practitioner who can refer to public health if hey have concerns. TB testing is free in Alberta if public health deems them at risk or having had exposure.
See CDC link The rates of Bovine to Human TB transmission is rare and our work involves employees at greater risk due to vets who manage post mortem tissue samples and work directly with infected Bovine.
Are there any legislated standards for occupational health screening tests and occupational medicals? That is, are there specific guidelines of using vision screeners to do vision testing and comparing results to job standard requirements (like the ones with Titmus) versus use of a Snellen chart and comparing results to those of a driver’s medical? RE medicals – is there a standard occupational guideline for doing various types of medicals? Or are they determined by the individual company? I keep seeing medicals required in the OHS legislation but a medical done by a family doctor is not going to be the same as one done by an occupational health physician. Does it matter? Either one would fit? So, if family doctor does the medical based on a driver’s medical, will that meet legislation? Please help!!!!!!!!
Caroline doing screening or surveillance in OH is based on a several factors: what are the job demands?hazards? is the position safety sensitive? and are there legislative requirements that require hazard specific health screening or assessments to determine baseline before job entry or for ongoing periodic surveillance programs. (such as asbestos (resp legislation) or noise exposure (audiometric screening).
Unfortunately there is no one assessment fits all.
To address vision screening if an employer does not have a minimum vision screening requirement then using the Canadian Driver Medical standard is a good approach as it at minimum provides a documented and approved medical standard for screening so that makes sense.
As for using a driver medical as a pre-employment or periodic medical that would not be best practice for OH based on my experience. Our practice customizes the assessment based on the factors I listed above. If the employer you are working with does not know what they need then the OHN will work with them and other stakeholders to identify the type of medical needed for that industry. Hope that helps and maybe some other colleagues can weigh in on your question.
Juanita House RN,BN,OHNC, COHNc, LNC
Eisan Consulting Inc.
Thanks Juanita. As an Occ Health testing company, we are just providing service to the client as per their request. They tell us they need a medical for crane operator. They tell us they need a medical for mining. So, if one of the item is vision screening test, is there an industry understanding or standard as to what type of vision screening test should be done? All we see is vision test and we then do whatever vision test we usually do (Snellen chart). Is this acceptable? Or should we be using the test result to compare to the person’s job standard (vision requirement for clerical is different from operating mobile equipment and that is different for a general labourer)? We don’t have a job standard handbook to indicate pass or fail. We just follow a driver’s medical criterion for vision test. Is this acceptable and legal?
How are you using Cority for Hearing conservation recalls? I am curious how you are using Cority to manage your one year recalls and then Biennial recalls thereafter? Ours is currently set up with several exam activity entries/steps to capture the one year recall and then Biennial recall – I’m wondering if there is an easier way to customize Cority.
Hi Shelly,
We have ours set up on a default two year recall. Then we “complete -due date override” the due date of the individual “audiogram” activity in their SEG list if we need to see them sooner than two years.
I have also seen companies put new employees in an annual SEG and then use business rules to help manage the transition to a 2 year SEG. Linked Queries may also be an option to consider to pull employees with a date of hire past two years into the 2 year SEG – likely with a manual end date of the 1 year SEG.
Occupational Health Nursing Forum 
Test post – Anyone know if there are certain cancers linked to Radon exposure only vs. Smoking-related cancers?
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Was this a test post? Or are you wondering?
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Both 🙂
Sent from my iPhone
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I am not sure if i am interpreting your question correctly. With high levels of radon exporsure by miners, or similar industry workers they can be at an increase risk of getting lung cancer. High levels can also be linked to childhood leukemia, but the evidence is mixed. This is because radon are absorbed mainly by inhaling because of the short distance so it is unlikely that it would affect other tissues (See cancer.org with the Radon and Cancer section).
I am not sure if this helps but you can see some information on this site too.
http://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/fact-sheets/radon-and-cancer-fact-sheet/article/447537/
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Great resource. Thank you for your reply.
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Is anyone familiar with any TB skin test recommendations for cattle ranchers?
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Brendan;
We work with employees who manage Bovine outbreak.
While we have a testing program for employees to my knowledge there are no formal programs for ranchers(someone out there may be aware). Ranchers should be referred to their family practitioner who can refer to public health if hey have concerns. TB testing is free in Alberta if public health deems them at risk or having had exposure.
See CDC link The rates of Bovine to Human TB transmission is rare and our work involves employees at greater risk due to vets who manage post mortem tissue samples and work directly with infected Bovine.
Click to access mbovis.pdf
Juanita House RN,BN,OHNC, COHNc, LNC
Eisan Consulting Inc.
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Thanks, Juanita; useful info and CD resource.
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Are there any legislated standards for occupational health screening tests and occupational medicals? That is, are there specific guidelines of using vision screeners to do vision testing and comparing results to job standard requirements (like the ones with Titmus) versus use of a Snellen chart and comparing results to those of a driver’s medical? RE medicals – is there a standard occupational guideline for doing various types of medicals? Or are they determined by the individual company? I keep seeing medicals required in the OHS legislation but a medical done by a family doctor is not going to be the same as one done by an occupational health physician. Does it matter? Either one would fit? So, if family doctor does the medical based on a driver’s medical, will that meet legislation? Please help!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
Caroline doing screening or surveillance in OH is based on a several factors: what are the job demands?hazards? is the position safety sensitive? and are there legislative requirements that require hazard specific health screening or assessments to determine baseline before job entry or for ongoing periodic surveillance programs. (such as asbestos (resp legislation) or noise exposure (audiometric screening).
Unfortunately there is no one assessment fits all.
To address vision screening if an employer does not have a minimum vision screening requirement then using the Canadian Driver Medical standard is a good approach as it at minimum provides a documented and approved medical standard for screening so that makes sense.
As for using a driver medical as a pre-employment or periodic medical that would not be best practice for OH based on my experience. Our practice customizes the assessment based on the factors I listed above. If the employer you are working with does not know what they need then the OHN will work with them and other stakeholders to identify the type of medical needed for that industry. Hope that helps and maybe some other colleagues can weigh in on your question.
Juanita House RN,BN,OHNC, COHNc, LNC
Eisan Consulting Inc.
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Thanks Juanita. As an Occ Health testing company, we are just providing service to the client as per their request. They tell us they need a medical for crane operator. They tell us they need a medical for mining. So, if one of the item is vision screening test, is there an industry understanding or standard as to what type of vision screening test should be done? All we see is vision test and we then do whatever vision test we usually do (Snellen chart). Is this acceptable? Or should we be using the test result to compare to the person’s job standard (vision requirement for clerical is different from operating mobile equipment and that is different for a general labourer)? We don’t have a job standard handbook to indicate pass or fail. We just follow a driver’s medical criterion for vision test. Is this acceptable and legal?
LikeLike
How are you using Cority for Hearing conservation recalls? I am curious how you are using Cority to manage your one year recalls and then Biennial recalls thereafter? Ours is currently set up with several exam activity entries/steps to capture the one year recall and then Biennial recall – I’m wondering if there is an easier way to customize Cority.
LikeLike
Hi Shelly,
We have ours set up on a default two year recall. Then we “complete -due date override” the due date of the individual “audiogram” activity in their SEG list if we need to see them sooner than two years.
LikeLike
I like using the date override feature for this.
I have also seen companies put new employees in an annual SEG and then use business rules to help manage the transition to a 2 year SEG. Linked Queries may also be an option to consider to pull employees with a date of hire past two years into the 2 year SEG – likely with a manual end date of the 1 year SEG.
LikeLike