FITMed24

Category: Mobile Medical Clinics

  • Mobile Occupational Medicals

    Mobile Occupational Medicals

    Why Choose Mobile Occupational Medicals

    Companies that implement regular occupational medicals enjoy a better work environment overall than those that don’t. Occupational medicals are a legislative requirement, but more than that, they drastically improve the health and safety of staff members. For companies where the staff complement is large, mobile occupational medicals are beneficial, as the required health care is brought directly to the business.

    When you have the option of taking staff members to the local occupational clinic or hiring a mobile clinic to provide services at your premises, we recommend opting for the mobile clinic for various reasons. Here are just a few reasons why your business should make use of mobile occupational medicals:

    • Be Compliant with the Law

    The SA Occupational Health and Safety Act demands that all businesses working with hazardous materials or where physical danger is present carry out medical surveillance and ongoing medical testing. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the working environment does not cause the employees’ health to deteriorate. A mobile occupational medical means that you can stay compliant without having to disrupt your daily operations.

    • Prove Your Loyalty to Your Staff

    Just as it is important to you to have loyal staff members, you need to show your staff members that you are loyal to them and value them. Organising regular mobile occupational medicals ensures that staff members feel appreciated and taken care of. They are also more likely to be more productive when they feel this way. It’s a win-win situation.

    • Put an End to Out-of-Control Absenteeism

    Recurring health problems can be caught early on and treated when regular occupational medicals are carried out. Healthy staff members have no need to be absent from work.

    • Save Time and Money

    To transport groups of staff members to the local clinic will be expensive and also greatly affect the business’s productivity. Mobile occupational medicals help companies stay operational while staff members get their medical assessments done. This saves both time and money.

    • Provide Your Staff Members with Comfort

    While occupational medicals aren’t particularly invasive, some employees might feel anxious or nervous about them. By providing mobile occupational medicals, your staff members can feel more at ease having the medicals carried out in a space that they are familiar and comfortable with.

    At FITMed24, we provide mobile occupational medicals as part of our service offering. To save you time and money, we will come to you. We treat each staff member with warmth and professionalism, and the results of the tests are handled with the utmost discretion. All of our team members are qualified and experienced healthcare practitioners or have worked in the field. You can expect testing to be meticulously carried out and for our staff members to be familiar with the processes involved, thus putting your staff members at ease.

    If you would like to organise mobile occupational medicals for your business, you have come to the right place. To find out more or to book an appointment with us, simply give us a call or send us an email today.

  • Occupational Medicals Are Important for Several Reasons

    Occupational Medicals Are Important for Several Reasons

    Each year, the South African economy is robbed of billions as a result of absenteeism in the workplace. While a small proportion of those absent may simply be opportunists claiming a day or two off, the majority are either sick or injured. Unfortunately, there are still too many cases in which the origin of those illnesses or injuries can be traced to the workplace itself. It is the latter concern that is now prompting many employers to arrange for occupational medicals.

    The workplace environment can often present health hazards, so legislation requires employers to take steps to identify them. Where a particular hazard is considered to pose a potential threat to the health or safety of their employees, they are legally bound to implement whatever measures may be necessary to protect them. To test the impact of such measures, while monitoring of hazard levels is important, only by conducting relevant occupational medicals in parallel can one be certain that countermeasures taken are sufficiently effective.

    While fluctuating market demands, competitor’s strategies, and fluctuations in exchange rates can all have a negative impact on the performance of a business, absenteeism is at least as damaging, if not more. That said, unlike the other factors, it is one that can be controlled. The simple precaution of determining whether or not an employee’s health might be threatened by the job they are required to perform could make a huge difference to a company’s productivity. Occupational medicals could spell the difference between paying a staff member for doing their job and paying for non-productive sick leave and possibly even for a temporary replacement. So, what do these examinations consist of?

    The clue is in the name. As part of an ongoing monitoring programme, these examinations focus on any relevant physical manifestations that might be the result of a worker’s occupation. The content of these examinations must, therefore, relate directly to the nature of the job. So, for example, in the case of miners and others who work in a dust-filled atmosphere, tests of respiratory function will feature prominently in occupational medicals. Similarly, workers who are regularly exposed to extreme levels of ambient noise might be given an audiological examination. 

    The same criteria can also be applied as part of the recruitment process. As well as possessing the appropriate experience and qualifications, where relevant, it is reassuring to know that a candidate is physically suited to their proposed duties. Accordingly, there are specialised occupational medicals for those in the food-and-beverage industry, construction workers, and drivers of heavy vehicles, as well as screening for general wellness in the workplace.

  • 5 Benefits of Mobile Medical Testing

    5 Benefits of Mobile Medical Testing

    The human element of your business is, in fact, one of its greatest strengths. Having employees that are efficient, passionate, loyal, and healthy can take your business from average to amazing in a very short time. For this reason companies are choosing to focus on their employees’ health, providing ways to promote better lifestyles and better medical choices that will benefit everyone.

    One of these ways is health screening. Many organisations use employee health screening to help their employees identify potential health problems early, and prevent missed work and expensive medical procedures down the road. By making these screens a part of their job, and even tying them to incentive programs, employers have been able to foster an environment of health for all employees.

    How can a mobile medical unit help? A mobile medical unit can do the screenings onsite without disruption to your workforce, in a safe convenient controlled manor. Your employees simply need to step into a designated meeting room, go through the screening, and then they can get right back to their duties.

    Mobile medical companies often perform the following care:

    • Medical Screening
    • Respiratory Protection
    • Drug / Alcohol Testing
    • Hearing conservation
    • Medical Surveillance
    • Health Consultation and Training
    • Online Respirator Medical Clearance

    In many cases, these services can keep your business compliant with Occupation health and safety requirements. But there are benefits beyond simply keeping your business running smoothly when you choose to work with a mobile medical company. Consider these important pros that mobile medical companies can offer your employees and you:

    1. Less Substance Abuse

    While it’s hard for law-abiding citizens to fathom, it’s not that difficult to fake a drug test when you are able to prepare ahead of time. There are many tools and techniques available that help employees keep their jobs and their habits, that are used every day. If an employee is sent to an external location for health services, they have the time, away from supervision, to prepare for the chance of a drug screening.

    But when you make random drug testing a part of your health screening through a mobile medical service, no employee can be prepared to give a false sample. They’ll come to work thinking it’s a normal day, and the medical service will be right there waiting to get started. This is a good way for employers to ensure that drug testing is accurate.

    Regular drug tests, done at random intervals, can help make your workplace safer and more efficient. Substance abusers are more likely to skip work, come to work late, make poor decisions while on the job, and have impaired motor skills. Not only do these issues create an unsafe environment for your other workers, they also present higher costs in medical coverage and premiums.

    2. Keep Your Contracts

    Imagine that you’ve just received a major contract and you need to take several steps to ensure that your job site and employees are meeting all the required standards. One of the risks of sending your employees to get those regulated screenings and drug tests is that you’ll have to go to great lengths to ensure that you choose a facility that follows the legally required standards specific to your industry.

    Or, you can choose a mobile medical company, who will come to your job site, ensure that all testing is done to the correct standards, and help you keep your important contracts. Not only will you be assured that you’ve chosen a service that meets industry regulations, you also keep your employees moving efficiently on the job, because you don’t have to transport them to another site, or have them leave the job site, in order to get these screenings done. The more efficiently you can work on a major contract, the more likely you are to get another in the future. This helps grow your business, making you and your employees more money.

    3. Cut Out Overtime

    If you, like so many other employers, struggle to keep one of your biggest expenses being payroll to manageable levels, then you know that overtime is one of your biggest problems. Sending employees to get screening while on the clock is almost a guaranteed path to overtime. Not only do you have to pay for the time it takes them to get the screening, but you are likely also paying for the time it takes them to drive to and from the appointment, and the time it takes them to make up the work they missed when they were at the appointment.

    4. Create a Workplace that Attracts Employees

    More than ever, employees are interested in workplaces that are just as focused on sustaining happy, healthy employees as they are on productivity. Employees want to know that you are just as invested in them as they are in your business. By having mobile medical services on site to perform health screenings, you make it very convenient for your employees to stay on top of their health. This is something that many employees would be very grateful for, and it presents a picture of an employer who understands their motivations and is willing to help them create a workforce that works with their needs.

    As word gets out that you care about your employees, you’ll attract the best applicants, who are truly driven and productive, and could have their pick of jobs based on previous experience or education. You’ll get these top employees because you’ve created a workplace that they want to spend their time in, because they know that their health and wellbeing is a priority.

    In fact, many mobile health services can process large volumes all at once, setting up multiple stations with a large medical staff to get potential employees through the process in groups. Think of it like the military – whole ranks of people being moved very quickly through standard procedures so that work can begin. Mobile medical services have the experience necessary to perform exactly this type of action.

    5. Gain Access to the Most State-of-the-Art Equipment

    Your employees local hospital or clinic may not be outfitted with the most up-to-date medical equipment or training. A mobile medical service can offer state-of-the-art testing, performed with the most modern equipment. This gives your employees better information about their health, providing you with a clearer picture of which employees would be best for which jobs, and helps your insurance provider offer you the best rates.

    Choosing the right mobile medical service is the key for this final benefit. Be sure that you carefully consider their services, and ask about the equipment that they use. They should be able to explain that they rely on the best training and the best equipment to get fast, accurate results.

    Just by choosing to include this one service in your business, you can completely shift the environment and the people who work in it. If you’ve been looking for a way to save money, or you need to totally refresh your workforce and workplaces, this is a great change to implement.

  • Mobile Medical Clinics

    Mobile Medical Clinics

    Mobile Medical Clinics for Your Workforce

    If the thought of arranging company medicals is daunting for you, rest assured that you feel much the same as thousands of other South African business owners and managers. Not only are medicals a schlep to arrange, but they can also cost a lot. With this in mind, FITMed24 has challenged the industry to step up its game by offering mobile medical clinics that carry out medical assessments affordable prices. Get a quote today by making contact with us either

    Call Us Now
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    This particular service brings both convenience and affordability to companies that cannot afford the downtime that follows transporting staff members to medical facilities to have their assessments. It is also ideal for those who cannot afford to have their own in-house medical clinic (which is not an affordable option for South African businesses).

    One of the things that you should check when comparing the services and rates of mobile medical clinics is their credentials. It’s best for professional nurses and qualified medical professionals to handle the tests, assessments, and reports, if you want a thorough and true reflection of the health of your workforce. Cutting corners will only cost your company in the long run. At FITMed24, we only employ professional and qualified occupational doctors, general practitioners, and registered nurses. All of our healthcare professionals are registered with the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa), the SASOHN (South African Society of Occupational Health Nursing Practitioners), and the SANC (South African Nursing Council).

    With more than 20 years of experience in the health sector, we have absolute confidence that our mobile medical clinics are more than equipped to carry out your medical assessments effectively. We have supplied mobile medical clinics to a variety of industries, including construction, mining, fuel, gas, and even chemical manufacturing.

    The health of your workforce should be your number one priority for your business. After all, your employees are the future and current driving force behind your business’s success. If you currently work with another medical service provider, we challenge you to compare our service to theirs. We offer a scale payment system where the more medicals you do per year, the cheaper your rate will become. We offer free accredited health and safety training, including firefighting, first aid, and SHE representative training for our Blue Chip customers who sign up for our services with our product “GENESIS”.. We also offer our clients free HIV testing with every mobile medical clinic that we host. That’s not all though. Our mobile medical clinics will not disrupt your workflow unnecessarily, and we guarantee a quality, ethical, and thorough service each and every time.

    For more information about our mobile medical clinics, give us a call or send us an email today.

  • Why Your Business Needs Up-To-Date Occupational Medicals

    Why Your Business Needs Up-To-Date Occupational Medicals

    If you have been wondering why occupational medicals are important for your business, we’re here to tell you. Carrying out regular medical tests and surveillance at work is not just a wise thing to do because the Occupational Health and Safety Act legally requires employers to do so. While being compliant with the law is an important motivating factor, it’s not the only one. Other important reasons to ensure that your employees’ occupational medicals are up to date is to guarantee minimal downtime for your business and to protect the wellbeing of your staff. Your workforce is the beating heart of your business and without its health and strength, your business’s full potential will simply not be reached.


    Medicals can come in many varieties and forms. Whether you need medical testing done on the move, fit-for-duty tests carried out, or even risk-based medical surveillance done, we can assist you. Medical testing and monitoring can be offered for pre-placement situations, as well as for exit situations and ongoing employment. The point is not to rid the workplace of those who are negatively impacted by the working environment; it is to ensure that employees are provided with the correct safety mechanisms to protect their health and to ensure ongoing, long-term employment with the business. It’s a win-win for all parties involved.

    When opting for occupational medicals to be carried out, they can be done at the providing company’s premises, or on-site at your own (which is often preferred in work environments where downtime can quickly have a detrimental effect on productivity). It’s best to choose a company that is recognised in your area, and that has the experience, specialised equipment and medical professionals available to carry out testing and monitoring, and to translate the information gathered professionally and accurately.

    At FITMed24, we offer medical testing and surveillance services to companies operating in all industries. Our equipment, which is well maintained, is SABS approved and holds international accreditation, while also adhering to international standards with the relevant authorities. In order for your occupational medicals to be of value to your company, you need to have them carried out correctly, with the right equipment and the best, qualified professionals. At FITMed24, you are guaranteed of exactly that.

    If you would like to learn more about the process involved in carrying out occupational medicals or would like to book one of our services with us, kindly contact us. 

  • How Occupational Health Affects Workers, Employers, and the Economy

    How Occupational Health Affects Workers, Employers, and the Economy

    With few exceptions, for millennia, it has been the practice of employers to assign precedence to profits while giving little or no thought to the cost borne by employees in their efforts to meet their, often unrealistic, production targets. Periodically, it became evident that some workers, such as miners, might be exposed to hazards that could impede their productivity and, the Ancient Greeks, for example, responded by issuing crude masks to limit the inhalation of dust. Even the industrial revolution did little to change employers’ attitudes, and legislation governing occupational health and safety was not introduced until the latter half of the twentieth century.

    While earlier acts aimed to protect workers in selected fields like mining and construction, only in 1994 did South Africa introduce an act that applied to all workers and obliged employers to adopt measures to protect them. Today, the employer’s responsibility is mainly to identify possible hazards and implement measures to eliminate or minimise them, failing which, they must provide workers with effective protection. Occupational health measures, however, should not be restricted to preventative measures. Though not yet a legal requirement, performing regular medical examinations of workers to ensure they have not been affected by such hazards has some important benefits.

    In practice, the lesson that those employers of the past failed to learn was that the cost of keeping their employees healthy can be recouped almost immediately, purely as a result of their greater productivity. In addition, a healthy workforce means less money spent on unproductive, paid sick leave. Putting profits before occupational health concerns can, in fact, be more likely to lead to losses.

    Statistics suggest that absenteeism in South Africa is currently costing the nation’s economy something between R12 and R15 billion every year. The figures arise from the combined cost of paying the wages of absentees, hiring, and perhaps training temporary staff to replace them or paying overtime to existing employees for filling in. It is less obvious when the quality of goods or services is compromised by staff shortages, which further underlines the widespread importance of occupational health services.

    Liability is yet another challenge faced by employers. In recent years, claims arising from work-related conditions, such as silicosis and asbestosis have been overtaken by those from workers affected by excessive noise in the workplace. Many of these are likely to be spurious, but only the evidence of periodic audiograms conducted as part of an occupational health programme could confirm or preclude the possibility of fraud. Without such evidence, a seasoned industrial injury lawyer will require little more than proof of his or her clients’ currently impaired ability to hear and a noisy working environment, to substantiate a claim. Such possibilities provide yet another compelling reason for an employer to consider this option.

    It is not unreasonable to claim that the responsibility for their health should rest with the individual, but, where there is a risk of work-related illness, it is in the interest of employers to ensure that this responsibility is fulfilled. To assist them, FITMed24 offers a comprehensive occupational health plan that includes a number of free, but valuable benefits for participating companies, and is the first organisation of its kind in South Africa to do so.

  • Exit Medicals

    Exit Medicals

    Over the years, there has been a growing acceptance on the part of employers within selected sectors of industry, that it may be wise to evaluate the fitness of manual workers before granting them employment. However, the importance of conducting exit medicals at the time that a worker may be leaving their employ, whether voluntarily, or as a result of dismissals, has tended to arouse rather less attention from management.

    Professional Exit Medicals are Important to Both Workers and Management

    Much of this apparent indifference was originally due to a lack of legislation, but with the introduction of a compulsory programme of medical surveillance for workers in the mining sector, there is hope for more widespread compliance. Medical surveillance has subsequently been extended to include any workers who are required to operate in conditions of excessive noise, in the presence of high levels of lead or asbestos, or who may be at risk due to exposure to certain chemical substances or biological agents.

    The objective of surveillance is twofold. On the one hand, it is intended as a means with which to monitor and to protect the health of workers who operate in hazardous environments and, on the other hand, to ensure that employers are protected against spurious compensation claims for work-related illnesses. The programme includes pre-employment, periodic and exit medicals. The first medicals determine the fitness of new workers to undertake the tasks required and establish a baseline for future comparisons. Intermediate examinations ensure that the health of each worker is maintained and will detect any early signs of a work-related condition, while the latter establishes the state of the worker’s health at the time of resignation or dismissal.

    Because both the physical demands of the job and the nature of the attendant hazards tend to vary between one workplace and the next, the particular examinations and tests that may be included in these surveillance programmes also vary. They do, however, include a number of standard procedures, such as a full medical examination, the measurement of pulse and blood pressure, and urine screening tests. Over and above these, specific tests such as lung function, audiometry and vision testing, as well as X-rays, ECG and any blood chemistry, haematology or microbiological investigation that may be seen as appropriate.

    Submitting to exit medicals and the other examination is not optional for workers in industries where operating a medical surveillance programme is compulsory. An employer is only required to make this clear and to ensure that each employee understands what he or she can expect during this examination, and how important they are to his or her health. These examinations can, however, only be conducted by registered medical practitioners and nurses who also hold a formal qualification in occupation health.

    While it remains a fact that not all industries are compelled to adopt surveillance programmes, the benefits of maintaining a healthy workforce are prompting a growing number of concerned employers to introduce staff medicals voluntarily. FITMed24 operates a team of certified occupational health professionals providing services to companies both with and without compulsory medical surveillance programmes. We offer our clients a choice between conducting them at our clinic premises or utilising one of our mobile units to conduct them on-site, where this may be more convenient.

  • Annexure 3 Document

    Annexure 3 Document

    As per the new construction regulation, it is mandatory that all construction companies conduct medical screening for their workers. Companies must complete this form before sending employees for medicals. All information should be filled in accurately, as it enables the medical practitioner to determine the correct course of screening for each employee.

    Please contact us if you require any further information regarding the construction regulations.

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  • On-Site Medicals

    On-Site Medicals

    The Benefits of On-Site Medicals

    on-site medicals
    on-site medicals

    On-site medicals provide the business owner and employees with a wealth of benefits. For starters, the employees don’t have to worry about transport to the clinic (and the associated cost) as they can just attend work as per usual. The tests are carried out swiftly and meticulously, and the results thereof are kept private. When dealing with our team and ordering on-site medicals, you can expect us to have the utmost integrity and discretion.

    On-site medicals can be used to monitor the effect the working environment is having on an employee’s health. The tests include testing for toxicity, as well as hearing, eyesight, stress, and more. If there is a specific test that you would like carried out, simply let us know and we will do what we can to assist you.

    On-site medicals can help you ensure that workers are provided with prompt medical care when required. It can also help you to understand the negative effects of the work environment, and help you to set mechanisms in place to protect the health and safety of your workforce. By monitoring an individual’s health status, you can also avoid potential litigation brought about by disgruntled employees whose contracts are terminated. In many respects, on-site medicals will help you to protect yourself, your business, and your employees.

    It is important to book your occupational medicals with a team that has experience in your industry and knows what the legislation and regulations demand. At FITMed24, we are familiar with the requirements in most industries and can help you to simplify the process. We apply our knowledge of each industry and use the data provided by you to ensure that your business is compliant at all times.
     

    On-Site Medicals Available for all Industries

    Whether you work in the mining industry, production and manufacturing industries, or food-handling industry, on-site medicals are an absolute must. In fact, they cannot be avoided, as non-compliance can result in a hefty fine and/or the business being closed permanently or for a certain period of time. At FITMed24, our medicals currently start from as little as just R320, so there is really no excuse. Now occupational medicals are an affordable endeavour for all.

    If you would like to book regular on-site medicals for your business and ensure that you are compliant with the legislation and regulations in your particular industry in South Africa, we recommend that you get in touch with us directly.

    You can reach us by email or telephone during office hours.

  • What are Occupational Health Services and Why Are They Important?

    What are Occupational Health Services and Why Are They Important?

    Health and safety, industrial, or occupational hygiene are all terms that are so frequently used interchangeably that it is easy to overlook the fact that they refer, not to a single science, but to a combination of many. One thing they all have in common, however, is that their aim is to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the workplace. It is convenient to categorise their various efforts as either technical or medical, and it is the latter that may best be described as occupational health services.

    It is the technical experts who are tasked with identifying any hazards that might pose a threat to the safety or wellness of employees. However, the responsibility for determining whether employees may have been affected by such hazards, or that they are sufficiently fit to perform those tasks that are expected of them, falls upon doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals with the necessary experience to provide these specialised occupational health services.

    Every job poses its own challenges, some of which may be physical. Where this is the case, not everyone who applies for the job is necessarily capable of meeting its challenges. Consequently, one of the more common requests made to these specialists is to conduct a medical examination specifically designed to confirm or preclude an applicant’s physical suitability for a given job.

    Among the many industries in South Africa that now depend on these assessments on those organisations qualified to provide occupational health services are mining, construction, aviation, and haulage, as well as those employers involved in the preparation and production of food and beverages. The latter group is interesting in that it is the employee rather than the job that might pose a potential hazard. Their noses, mouths, and other sites must be swabbed and checked for the presence of pathogens, such as Salmonella and Staphylococcal species that could contaminate food and infect consumers.

    The need to perform these cultures and any other laboratory tests that may be appropriate requires companies engaged in dispensing occupational health services to provide the necessary facilities and to employ suitably qualified staff to perform them. These services, incidentally, may not be limited to conducting medicals and lab tests.

    Educating employers and employees about how to conduct their own safety measures can be every bit as important. This is why, FITMed24, one of South Africa’s leaders in this field, has added a number of valuable SETA-accredited training courses to its extensive portfolio of on-site and clinic-based occupational health services. Courses cover knowledge of basic first aid and fire fighting, evacuation and emergency drills, as well as HIV and TB in the workplace.

    Contact us today for more information