Occupational Medicine Center: Your occupational health services at Charité

An employer generally has a duty of care to their staff and must protect the health, safety and welfare of workers. Occupational physicians provide the employer with competent, expert advice.  This includes advice

• regarding the evaluation of existing working conditions
• on employees changing jobs or roles, and the occupational integration or reintegration of disabled employeer
• regarding the planning, implementation and maintenance of workplace facilities, as well as welfare and sanitary facilities
• on issues pertaining to occupational physiology and psychology, as well as ergonomics and occupational hygiene; in particular:
  
  - working-time schedules
  - arrangements regarding work periods and breaks
  - workplace design
  - workflows
  - work environment

• regarding the purchasing of technical equipment and the introduction of new work processes and materials
• on the selection and testing of protective equipment
• regarding ‘First Aid’ arrangements at work

Last but not least, it also includes attending meetings of the Health and Safety Committee (ASA)

Our statutory services to employees include:

• occupational health-related training/courses
• general advice on workplace design
• occupational health screening and prevention programs (AMV) pursuant to the ‘Ordinance on Occupational Health Care’ (ArbMedVV)

Furthermore, you may rest assured that any and all information shared will remain strictly confidential.

The nature of your occupation means that you are exposed to more or less serious health hazards. Where these are linked to adverse health outcomes, legislation stipulates mandatory occupational health screening and prevention programs (AMV). A risk assessment will determine the type of screening/prevention program required.

AMV health checks represent health, safety and welfare measures which meet the requirements of the Ordinance on Occupational Health Care (ArbMedVV).

AMV health checks are held in a ‘safe space’ and are subject to the principles of patient confidentiality.

Members of staff can use their AMV appointments to ask for information and advice on interactions which exist between their work and health.

All AMV occupational health checks consist of a personal consultation with a physician and a full medical history (including work history).

Should your occupational physician feel there is a need for further physical or clinical investigations to support their diagnosis and/or occupational health advice, you will be offered this option. Any such examination or investigation will only be performed with your express consent.

Occupational health screenings will always be scheduled during normal work hours; all costs are met by the employer.

Following your AMV occupational health checks (mandatory or voluntary), you and your employer will receive a certificate issued by your occupational physician. This will simply confirm attendance at an AMV appointment and (where relevant) suggest a date for your next AMV appointment.

It is the only way for the employer to ensure compliance with requirements introduced by the amended ArbMedVV (dated 31 October 2013), which stipulate a duty to log all AMV appointments.

Inspections are carried out to ensure health and safety at work. Inspections can be either ‘routine’ or ‘triggered’.

Routine inspections

The purpose of routine inspections is to update risk assessment information for specific work areas. Carried out at regular intervals, they have the following aims:

• to gain an insight into existing places of work, work processes and working conditions
• to identify and evaluate risks which may result in damage to health or accidents
• to provide recommendations on how to either eliminate or reduce risks

Triggered inspections

Triggered inspections can be carried out if requested by a member of staff or a health and safety representative. Inspection triggers include:

• a change in working conditions (e.g. Renovation/refurbishment, new build, new work processes, new equipment)
• a symptom which is linked to a particular job/type of work
• employees with particular health and safety needs (e.g. Pregnant women, severely disabled members of staff, employees returning after a particularly severe illness)

Health and safety inspection committees will vary on a case-by-case basis, and may include the following representatives:

• the manager responsible for health and safety in the relevant area
• an occupational health physician
• a health and safety specialist
• a staff representative (staff council, disability support etc.)
• a fire prevention and safety officer
• others (as required)

Workplace accidents

The occupational health physician is tasked with identifying and analyzing the causes of workplace accidents, and to develop suggestions for improvements. If you have suffered a workplace accident, you will be treated by specially licensed trauma or orthopedic surgeons known as a ‘Durchgangsarzt’ (D-Arzt). These specialists can be found in all emergency departments in the Berlin area.

At Charité, they are found in the following emergency departments:

• Campus Benjamin Franklin: Tel: +49 30 8445 30 15
• Campus Charité Mitte: Tel: +49 30 450 531 000
• Campus Virchow-Klinikum: Tel: +49 30 450 552 000
• Campus Berlin Buch: Tel: +49 30 9401 53 333 (Helios Klinikum emergency department)

Workplace accidents must be reported via an accident report to the relevant accident insurance provider.

Occupational diseases

AMV health checks provide the occupational health physician with an opportunity to identify evidence indicative of potential or existing disease. The occupational health physician will advise employees based on their findings. If necessary, they will submit a report to the relevant accident insurance provider.

If the physician suspects you may be developing an occupational disease, please feel free to contact the AMZ at any time for advice.

In accordance with current legal provisions, the AMZ regularly offers various company-wide activities, programs and measures aimed at improving health protection practice. Examples include:

• multi-modular series of seminars on ‘healthy leadership’ (aimed at managers)
• the ‘Mental health’ preventive medicine concept
• pilot projects related to the implementation of occupational health management (BGM) in selected areas
• support in implementing a de-escalation management program in risk areas (e.g. emergency departments)
• the skin care campaign ‘Gesunde Hände – Saubere Hände’ (Healthy hands – Clean hands).
• the development of a mandatory glove policy
• advice regarding the use of safer injection devices
• the organization and moderation of various health forums
• involvement in staff surveys aimed at evaluating risks in emergency departments and other areas
• the ‘Smoke-free Charité’ campaign (Rauchfreie Charité)