Occupational Health retention schedule

This schedule covers all records kept by all staff in Occupational Health. It does not cover Health and Safety records Health and Safety records Health and Safety records.

Abbreviations:

WHSW = Workplace Health, Safety and Wellbeing
OH = Occupational Health
HASAW = Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974

Description of Record	Retention Period	Reason for retention period	Notes
Corporate
Occupational Health policies and procedures	Until the next review is due and the new version replaces the old	To ensure foundations of practice	Policies and procedures are reviewed as per review cycle and updated accordingly.
General activities
WHSW budget and invoices	6 years	To comply with HRMC and companies house	The accounts team, Director of Workplace Health, Safety and Wellbeing, and administration have access to budget information when processing accounts.
General Correspondence	6 years	To comply with civil claim period	Correspondence will be reviewed after 5 years and if no requests for data have been made and the information is not medically relevant this will data will be destroyed.
Audit
Audit notes regarding occupational health clinical records and reports	6 years after termination of employment	To comply with civil claim period To comply with clinical governance procedures within the OH department	The audit notes, which are identified to a case by a unique identifier only, will be kept against a practitioners personal file by the Head of Department for the length of the practitioners employment plus 6 years Limited audit information relating to individual practitioners will be stored detailing whether audit criteria was met/ not met and subsequent actions taken.
Testing records, repair and service records, reports and action plans in relation to plant, equipment, machinery and processes.	Further inspection has taken place which renders the previous one obsolete + 6 years Statutory (minimum): Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations(PUWER) 1998, states to keep inspection and test reports until superseded, 6(3), or for power presses for 2 years after it was made s. 35.	PUWER 6(3) Civil law: Limitations Act:	Records are kept on the OH Shared Drive, stored on Box
Training records
Training * Sign in sheets * Content of training courses	6 years	Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA)1974 and regulations made under it. Civil law – Limitations Act.	Records of training/signature sheets for staff will be kept on HR Organiser and/or on the Occupational Health Box drive.
Risk assessments
Risk Assessments	Further assessment has taken place which renders the previous one obsolete + 6 years	Civil law: Limitations Act HASAWA Management of health and safety at work regulations (MHSWR) Control of substances harmful to health (COSHH)	Risk assessment records are kept by the relevant department. Copy of risk assessment, when required for health surveillance records, may be kept by OH
Clinical information
Health Surveillance clinical records	40 years	Civil law: Limitations Act. HASAWA MHSWR COSHH	All health surveillance records are kept on the Cority occupational health system. Original copies of surveillance results are given to the employee upon request. Any historic paper copies, not available electronically, are kept in a locked cabinet however plans are being made to scan these into the existing electronic OH document system. A health record is given to the line manager detailing whether employees are fit/ not fit and any adjustments advised
Clinical information contained from management referrals	At least 6 years unless deemed of medical importance to retain them	HASAW Act, MHSWR regulations	All clinical information is retained and stored as advised in the Data Protection Act 2018

Freedom of Information Team Information is available on request.

Email: foi@essex.ac.uk

University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester CO4 3SQ

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