Health Surveillance & Workplace Medicals in Perth
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Health surveillance in Perth and Western Australia
Western Australia’s resources sector, construction pipeline and long distances create a distinct set of challenges for health monitoring. Employees Health has delivered doctor-led occupational health services since 1996, and we run health surveillance programs onsite at your workplace, from Perth metro workshops to mine sites and remote camps, as well as through clinics.
WA’s WHS laws and regulator
Western Australia’s Work Health and Safety Act 2020 is based on the national model laws, but WA has its own regulations, and some of them differ from the rest of the country in ways that matter for health monitoring. General workplaces fall under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022, while mining and mineral exploration operations fall under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022.
The regulator is WorkSafe WA, led by the WorkSafe Commissioner. Since 1 July 2025 WorkSafe has sat within the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety, which replaced the former Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Mine safety is handled by WorkSafe Mines Safety within that department.
Silica health monitoring in WA uses low-dose HRCT, not chest X-ray
This is the biggest difference employers coming from other states need to know about. In 2021 WA became the first jurisdiction to replace the chest X-ray with a low-dose high resolution CT (HRCT) scan as the screening test in crystalline silica health monitoring. The requirement is now set out in Schedule 14 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022. WorkSafe WA’s guidance explains that chest X-rays are not sensitive enough to detect silicosis or its early changes, so they are no longer used for this purpose.
The regulations specify a scan at an equivalent dose of less than 1 millisievert for the whole study, imaging the whole of each lung, including expiratory images, with no contrast. Full-dose diagnostic HRCT is not considered suitable for routine screening because of its higher radiation dose. Alongside imaging, silica health monitoring in WA includes a work and medical history, examination and spirometry. WorkSafe WA’s guide for medical practitioners sets out when baseline, periodic and exit scans are needed, depending on each worker’s exposure history.
In practice this means a silica program designed for New South Wales or Victoria, which may rely on a chest X-ray, will not meet WA’s requirements. Our silica health surveillance medicals for WA workers are arranged with low-dose HRCT where it is required, and the requirement applies across industries, including mining, quarrying, construction and stonework.
Industries we work with in WA
- Mining and mineral processing in the Pilbara, Goldfields, Mid West and South West, including iron ore, gold, lithium and nickel operations and their contractors.
- Oil, gas and energy, including onshore plants, maintenance shutdowns and supply bases.
- Construction and civil works around Perth and in regional centres, where silica, asbestos and noise are everyday risks.
- Fabrication, engineering and automotive workshops handling welding fumes, lead, isocyanate paints and solvents.
- Agriculture and grain handling across the Wheatbelt and Great Southern.
FIFO, remote sites and shift work
Much of WA’s workforce flies in and out from Perth or works long rosters at remote camps. We plan testing around swings so that workers can be assessed at site, at the start or end of a rotation, or at a clinic appointment before they fly out, rather than on their days off. For remote sites we can bring a clinical team for a planned visit and assess a whole crew over one or two shifts, including night shift. Coverage includes Perth and Peel, Bunbury and the South West, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Port Hedland, Newman, Broome and the Kimberley.
Services for WA workplaces
- Health surveillance and monitoring for silica, asbestos, lead (including blood lead monitoring), isocyanates, solvents, welding fumes and other hazardous substances.
- Lung function testing (spirometry) for dust and fume exposures.
- Audiometric testing for workers exposed to noise from heavy plant, crushing, drilling and processing.
- Onsite skin cancer checks for outdoor and field-based workers.
- Corporate and executive health assessments for Perth head offices.
Doctor-reviewed results
Every result is reviewed by a doctor. Employers receive a health monitoring report for each worker and a workforce summary that shows trends across crews and sites. Where a result needs follow-up, we explain what happens next, and workers are referred to their GP or a specialist where appropriate.
Get a free quote
Call 1300 880 804, email our team or send us an enquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Since 2021 WA has required a low-dose high resolution CT (HRCT) scan, rather than a chest X-ray, as the screening test in crystalline silica health monitoring. The requirement is now in Schedule 14 of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022, and WorkSafe WA says chest X-rays are no longer used for this purpose.
WorkSafe WA, led by the WorkSafe Commissioner, regulates the Work Health and Safety Act 2020. Since 1 July 2025 it has sat within the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety, with WorkSafe Mines Safety covering mines under the WHS (Mines) Regulations 2022.
Yes. We can bring a clinical team to mine sites, camps and regional workplaces for a planned visit, assessing a whole crew over one or two shifts. We cover Perth, the South West, the Goldfields, the Mid West, the Pilbara and the Kimberley.
Yes. Workers can be assessed at site, at the start or end of a swing, or at a clinic appointment before they fly out. That keeps testing off their days off.