KINNECT can conduct Safer Together Fitness to Work medical examinations for workers in the onshore Australian gas exploration and production industry.
A large proportion of the Australian oil and gas exploration and production industry work in remote locations far from sophisticated medical facilities and rapid emergency response services. A pre-employment Fitness to Work (FTW) medical is of paramount importance for all employees to mitigate the likelihood of serious injury or ill health.
The Safer Together guidelines have been designed to ensure a consistent, efficient and cost-effective approach to FTW assessments across the entire industry. This removes the need for new health assessments when employees move between companies.
KINNECT is proud to provide FTW pre-employment and health surveillance medicals to members of Safer Together who operate in Australia’s remote workplaces.
How it Works
Our clinicians are experienced in conducting medicals for workers in remote environments and the onshore Australian oil and gas exploration and production industry.
Safer Together Medicals can be signed off by an AHPRA-registered Occupational Physician, Occupational Health Doctor, or even a Nurse, depending on the model chosen by the client and is not state-specific. We can guide you as to the most appropriate option for sign-off.
A Safer Together medical includes all elements required for an FTW medical as stated in the guidelines, such as:
- Medical history questionnaire
- Medical examination
- Vision
- Audiometry
- Spirometry
- Urinalysis
- Musculoskeletal assessment
- Cardiovascular risk score calculation
- MBA20 blood test (non-fasting)
- Hba1c blood test
- Step test and functional assessment (only by request)
- Screening for sleep apnoea (mobile plant operators and shift workers only)
Depending on the employer and job requirements, candidates may require additional assessments such as:
- Vaccinations
- Drug and alcohol screen
All assessment candidates will be issued with a Safer Together ‘Fit Slip’ summarising the result of the medical assessment as either:
- Fit unconditional
- Fit with conditions and/or modifications
- Temporarily unfit
FAQ
Who needs a Safer Together FTW medical assessment?
A Safer Together FTW medical is required by all workers of participating Safer Together member companies and affiliated sites in the onshore Australian oil and gas industry whose role requires them to perform any of the following safety-sensitive tasks:
- Undertake remote or isolated location work
- Wear tight seal respiratory protection
- Drive vehicles or operate mobile plant machinery or cranes
- Provide emergency response or rescue team work
- Other high-risk activities as indicated by their employer
How often does a Safer Together FTW medical need to be undertaken?
As it’s aimed at preventing serious injuries and health events (i.e., heart attack) and is used to identify and manage health issues, the Safer Together guidelines state that the FTW medical needs to be undertaken at least every three years.
Where a candidate has a stable but chronic health condition, more frequent assessments might be needed (e.g., annually).
What happens if I am deemed unfit and believe this is incorrect?
If you do not meet the medical guidelines to obtain a certificate, your examining doctor should explain the reason behind this. If you believe your medical assessment is not representative of your current state of health, a review process may be implemented. This review process includes three other examining doctors reviewing your documentation.
Additional Resources
Find more information at:
The Safer Together website.
Get workers onsite faster with Safer Together Medicals by KINNECT
Contact us to get a quote for your organisation, or book online* via our Click & KINNECT Portal.
*For single or small group bookings only.
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