Pre-Employment Medical Assessments & Occupational Health
Clinical guide to pre-employment medical examinations in Australia: physical capacity, audiometry, spirometry, drug testing, and privacy rules.
Purpose of a Pre-Employment Medical
Pre-employment medical examinations are risk-mitigation assessments conducted on behalf of employers to protect both the worker and the organisation. Under the Work Health and Safety Act, employers hold a primary duty of care to ensure workers are not placed into occupational environments that exceed their physical capacity or exacerbate pre-existing vulnerabilities.
The examination also establishes a documented baseline health profile (e.g. baseline hearing thresholds), protecting both parties in the event of future occupational disease or injury claims.
Standard Clinical Assessment Components
Depending on the industry (heavy transport, agriculture, construction, food processing, or healthcare), assessments typically comprise:
- Comprehensive Medical History: Review of past surgical history, cardiovascular risks, asthma, epilepsy, musculoskeletal injuries, and prescription medications.
- Cardiovascular & Respiratory Examination: Resting blood pressure, heart sounds, peripheral pulses, and chest auscultation.
- Musculoskeletal & Functional Capacity Evaluation: Range of motion (spine, shoulders, hips, knees), joint stability, posture, grip strength, and lifting technique.
- Visual Acuity Screening: Snellen chart distance and near vision testing, peripheral visual fields, and Ishihara colour plate evaluation (vital for electrical and transport roles).
- Audiometric Testing (Audiometry): Air-conduction hearing threshold assessment inside an acoustic booth (500 Hz to 8000 Hz) compliant with AS/NZS 1269.4.
- Spirometry (Lung Function Testing): Measurement of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and FEV1 to screen for occupational airway hyperresponsiveness or respiratory restriction.
- Drug & Alcohol Screening: Instant or laboratory-confirmed urine or oral fluid toxicology compliant with AS/NZS 4308:2008 or AS 4760:2019.
How Candidates Can Prepare
To ensure a smooth assessment, candidates should bring:
- Government photo identification (Driver's Licence or Passport).
- Prescription glasses or contact lenses (with cases).
- List of current prescription medications, doses, and treating specialist letters (if managing chronic conditions).
- Comfortable clothing suitable for functional movement and joint flexibility tests.
- Avoid exposure to excessive occupational or recreational noise for 16 hours prior to audiometry.