Occupational Health

The Occupational Health Service (OHS) provides an advisory service to Queen's University, promoting the health, safety, and well-being of staff and students.

We conform to standards of clinical confidentiality, acting with integrity to provide an independent service. Service users have a right to expect that no personal or medical information will be shared or disclosed unless their consent is obtained to do so.

Occupational health records are classified as medical records for which professional guidance and legislation exists; including the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, The Access to Health Records Act 1990 and The Medical Reports Act 1998; which requires the University to ensure that Occupational Health records are only accessible by Occupational Health staff. Confidential occupational health records are kept securely and are accessed only by the occupational health staff.  Our role is not to take over the function of the General Practitioner or other health services, which are provided for the community at large.

Our advisory role does not diminish the responsibility of all managers for the welfare, counselling, guidance, discipline and safety of their staff and students. Nor does it diminish the responsibility of the individual to look after, and be responsible, for their own health and safety.

In line with the General Medical Council guidance and ethical standards of practice, prior to the report being issued, the individual will be offered the opportunity to view a draft copy of the report. Consent will be obtained to release the report. If the individual feels that the report contains factually incorrect information, this should be highlighted to the OH clinician for appropriate alterations or corrections to be made. The individual cannot insist upon the OH clinician’s opinion being altered. OH records are maintained to the same high standard of confidentiality as hospital or GP medical records, and in accordance with Data Protection. An individual’s OH record will not be disclosed to anyone outside OH without the individual’s written consent.

Details of how to make a complaint, as well as how to leave general feedback about the service, can be found under General Information.

NHS Services

The Occupational Health Service does not provide primary care. All university staff and students are advised to register with a GP (general practitioner) or family doctor, close to where they live (in the UK). The HSC Service Finder website will provide a list of GPs, dentists, and other NHS services.

Medical Emergencies

In the case of a serious medical emergency, where someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, always call 999 for an ambulance first.

Then call University Security (2222) immediately to inform them and so that they may assist in the ambulance getting to you promptly. If the situation is not life-threatening, then we would urge you to do one of the following:

• Contact your GP
• Visit a local Minor Injury Unit
• Visit your local A&E Department

Action to be taken following:

• needlestick/sharps/splash injury with exposure to potentially infectious material; or
• splash of human body fluid to eyes/mouth; or
• human scratch/bite.

the below steps should be followed.

STEP 1

Apply first aid measures and immediate irrigation.

STEP 2

For wounds:

• Encourage the wound to bleed by gently squeezing, and ideally holding it under running water - DO NOT SUCK the wound.
• wash well under running water using soap – DO NOT SCRUB the wound.
• cover with a dry dressing

For splash incidents:

• if the splash incident is in the mouth: rinse mouth out several times with cold water – DO NOT SWALLOW
• If the splash incident is into the eyes: remove contact lenses (if applicable), irrigate eyes well with cold, running water or saline for at least 5 minutes.

STEP 3

• Report the incident to your manager immediately, and in conjunction with your manager, complete the sharps care pathway to assess the Blood Borne Virus (BBV) infection risk – this will depend on the nature of the hazard associated with the incident.
• Record details of the source of the (potentially) infectious material, if known.

STEP 4

• If the incident was caused by an unused, clean sharp which is definitely uncontaminated:
  • complete an Accident Report Form, and, if concerned, seek further advice from the Occupational Health department.
    
    
• If the incident was caused by a source where BBV status is unknown, for example:
  
  • used or dirty sharp
  • human bite or scratch
  • human bodily fluid splash to eye or mucous membranes
  • contamination of a cut or open skin lesion

Contact the appropriate department from the list below immediately.

• If the incident was caused by a source where BBV status is known to be HIV / HEP B or HEP C positive, for example:
  • used or dirty sharp
  • human bite or scratch
  • human bodily fluid splash to eye or mucous membranes
  • contamination of a cut or open skin lesion

Contact the appropriate department from the list below immediately.

CONTACT IMMEDIATELY (if BBV status unknown, or known to be HIV, Hep B, or Hep C positive)

• If injured on a QUB site within working hours, contact QUB Occupational Health by phone AND email.

Phone: 028 9504 0275

Email: occhealth@qub.ac.uk

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 4.30pm

• If injured on a hospital or community site, contact the relevant Trust’s Occupational Health department.
  
  
• If injured out-of-hours, at weekends or bank holidays, and the risk assessment indicates a high-risk injury, contact the relevant Emergency Department.
  
  

In addition to the contact above, each Trust has their own Sharps Care Pathway.  This should be completed by the recipient following the injury and submitted to the relevant Occupational Health department.

Blood-borne virus risk can be introduced via any break in the skin (needle, bite, cut) or a splash to the eye or mouth. It may arise from:

• human blood
• amniotic fluid
• cerebrospinal fluid
• breast milk
• pericardial fluid
• peritoneal fluid
• pleural fluid
• blood stained saliva
• synovial fluid
• semen
• vaginal secretions
• unfixed human tissue
• any visibly bloodstained fluid
• exudate from burns or skin lesions

Please feel free to print and display this poster in your department.