Occupational Health

Mungret Medical Centre Occupational Health Services include a range of strategies and services to address to the interface between work and health in a safe and protective manner.

Pre-Employment Medical assessments allow companies to have their potential employees reviewed in to order to ascertain their suitability for a specific role and any reasonable adaptations that might be required. Whilst the checks involved will vary by the position, generally a Pre-Employment Medical assessment involves a detailed health questionnaire, a variety of medical examinations, and medical assessment. Mungret Medical Centre has an extensive suite of services such as audiometry, spirometry, physical fitness testing and similar.

If you are booking or attending for a pre-employment medical please review the advised documentation before your appointment.

Independent Medical Reports can be sought by companies and human resources departments for a variety of reasons, and these reports aid planning, staffing levels, and governance. Common reasons to seek an Independent Medical Report include absences from the workplace, either sporadic, re-occurrent or currently ongoing. Also Independent Medical Reports can be applicable around fitness to return to work following an absence.

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Being exposed to loud noise, as well as other causes, can affect your hearing. For noise the louder it is, the more damage it can cause. In some cases it can lead to permanent hearing loss. Once your ears get damaged by noise exposure there is no cure. High noise levels can also interfere with communications in the workplace. Identifying noise as a problem depends on how loud the noise is and how long you are exposed to it.

Hearing Checks and Audiometry provided at Mungret Medical Centre allow for hearing screening to be performed in our calibrated and sound insulated audio booth.

Dr Brian McEllistrem is approved by the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland to carry out medicals on divers at work in Ireland.

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As advised by the Health and Safety Authority, divers must hold a valid certificate of medical fitness to dive. This certificate is issued after a medical examination by an approved medical examiner of divers (otherwise known as an AMED). Fitness to dive medicals must be completed at least annually.

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Generally a Diving Medical (Commercial) can be expected to last approximately 60 minutes if no additional testing nor information is required.

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If you are booking or attending for a Diving Medical (Commercial) please review the advised documentation before your appointment.

The Merchant Shipping (Medical Examinations) Regulations, 2014 (S.I. No 246 of 2014) make it a legal requirement for any seafarer, as defined in the Regulations, to hold a valid certificate attesting to their medical fitness for the work for which they are employed. Every applicant for a medical fitness certificate is required to be medically examined by an Approved Doctor and no other medical practitioner may carry out medical examinations of seafarers. Seafarer Medicals are recognised in many other EU and non-EU countries.

Generally a Seafarers Medical Examinations (ENG11) can be expected to last approximately 60 minutes if no additional testing nor information is required.

Dr Brian McEllistrem is an Approved Doctor with the Irish Maritime Administration of the Department of Transport to preform Seafarers Medicals (ENG11).

If you are booking or attending for a Seafarers Medical Examination (ENG11) please review the advised documentation before your appointment.

It is OEUK policy (formerly OGUK) that all persons working offshore shall be examined periodically and classified as medically fit to work in the offshore environment.

Dr Brian McEllistrem is registered with OEUK as an Overseas Examining Doctor for medicals including Offshore Work Certificates and Certificates of Fitness to Participate in ERT (Emergency Response Team) Duties.

Generally an OEUK medical can be expected to last approximately 60 minutes if no additional testing nor information is required. Additional testing can be required under OEUK guidelines and/or can be medically required. Whilst we endeavor to book all appropriate tests for the time of the assessment, the need for further testing and/or information may only become apparent during the assessment.

If you are booking or attending for a OEUK Medical Examination please review the advised documentation before your appointment.

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We offer fitness to work medicals in accordance with RenewableUK guidelines for those working in the renewable energy industry, such as on wind turbines.

In this sector, Dr Brian McEllistrem is an Approved Doctor with the Irish Maritime Administration of the Department of Transport to preform Seafarers Medicals (ENG11) and is registered with OEUK as an Overseas Examining Doctor for medicals including Offshore Work Certificates.

Generally an RenewableUK Medical Examination can be expected to last approximately 60 minutes if no additional testing nor information is required.

If you are booking or attending for a RenewableUK Medical Examination please review the advised documentation before your appointment.

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The Mantoux Test or also known as Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and Mendel–Mantoux test, is a tool for screening for tuberculosis (TB) amongst other indications.

A single Mantoux Test requires two visits to Mungret Medical Centre, first to administer the tuberculin and then to read it 48 hours to 72 hours later. The first appointment is not given on a Thursday, however all other days during opening hours can be used for the first appointment. If the test is not read within the 48 hour to 72 hour window a re-test will be needed.

Occasionally a Two Step TB Skin test may be requested and/or required, this is generally four visits; 1st visit; doctor consultation, tuberculin administration; 2nd visit (48 to 72 hours later); reading. 3rd visit (day 7 to 21 after the 2nd visit); tuberculin administration and 4th visit (48 to 72 hours later); reading. However, your specific documentation and/or requirements may vary and we advise that you review same before booking appointment(s).

QuantiFERON testing is a set of blood tests, taken at one visit, often required for educational and work placements. Similar to the Mantoux text there are several indications for QuantiFERON testing, and the test itself should be considered with other investigations and symptoms.

The blood test must be taken in the morning, booked in advance, and can be taken any day during opening days.

A comprehensive screening programme can provide a general overview of employee’s visual disorders, detecting those where corrective action should be taken. Vision screening tests are a means of identifying individuals with defective vision who need a full eyesight test.

Primary prevention aims to prevent disease or injury before it ever occurs. Mungret Medical Centre offers a variety of holistic health checks which can be tailored to an individual’s health needs. These health checks are sometimes also known as Well Woman and Well Man checks. Our health checks can include the following;

· Body Mass Index with Body Composition Measure.

· Blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm assessment, oxygenation testing.

· Electrocardiography (ECG).

· Urinalysis.

· Respiratory Peak Flow Testing.

· Blood Tests.

· Medical Examination and Review.

A further option is available also, the "Health Check Extended", which also includes the following the extra investigations;

· Spirometry (test of lung function)

· Audiology (hearing testing)

· Step Test (standardised test of fitness) 

Our health checks are available to both patients who are registered with our practice and those who are not.

An individualised report will be generated for each health check.

Both seasonal and role specific vaccinations are often recommended for employees, to help reduce the deleterious effects of certain communicable diseases on the workforce.

Following a workplace accident an independent occupational health assessment can inform/review likely required investigations, interventions, and recovery trajectory, which is turn can both help reduce risk of similar events in future and aid human resources in planning responsibilities.

Health surveillance allows for early identification of ill health and helps identify any corrective action needed. Health surveillance can be delivered in multiple ways;

• Detecting ill-health effects at an early stage, so employers can introduce better controls to prevent them getting worse;
• Providing data to help employers evaluate health risks;
• Enabling employees to raise concerns about how work affects their health;
• Highlighting lapses in workplace control measures, therefore providing invaluable feedback to the risk assessment;
• Providing an opportunity to reinforce training and education of employees (eg on the impact of health effects and the use of protective equipment).

Mungret Medical Centre has a range of objective physical testing equipment. These include grip strength measuring, allowing a measure of maximal grip strength, and back strength testing, similarly assessing back strength.

To discuss our occupational health services and your specific company's or industry’s needs, please contact us for more information.