Employers are required to provide health examinations to workers at least once a year and also when they hired new employees. The government has made changes in the mandatory examination rules, effective in April 2027. This article looks at details.
[1] Changes from April 2027
The Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Hygiene sets items to be checked at workers’ regular health examinations. From April 2027, the rules will be revised on three points as below.
1. Removal of sputum test
2. Changes in the enzymes used for liver function test
3. Addition of serum creatinine test
The changes take into account the relationship between long working hours and chronic kidney diseases. Serum creatinine test has been added since it is useful in detecting kidney function declines. Some items of regular checkup may be omitted by physicians, but the decision must be made by studying changes in individual workers’ health conditions over time as well as subjective and visible symptoms.
[2] Frequently asked questions
This section explains about two frequently asked questions.
(1) New employees’ health examination
Companies are required to have new employees receive health examination, but if regular checkup is scheduled in the near future, they might assume that examination at the time of hiring may be skipped. Since the purposes of the examinations are different, companies are not allowed to skip new employees’ health check. However, the items included in the examination may be omitted from regular checkups conducted within one year.
(2) Obligation to provide reexamination and detailed checkup
Another common questions is whether companies are responsible for reexamination or detailed test when a problem was found at a regular checkup. While companies have a legal obligation to provide employees with regular checkup, they are not required to give reexamination. The Labor and Health Ministry’s guideline only states that companies need to make efforts to encourage employees to receive further check.
According to the labor standards inspection offices, many companies receive corrective guidance for failing to hear physicians’ opinions when checkup results indicate that health issues are suspected. Please do not forget to check examination results including comments and seek physicians’ opinions as needed.
■Reference
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Workplace Health and Hygiene Measures”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudoukijun/anzen/anzeneisei02.html
*This information is based on laws and regulations as of the date of the original article.
