Coal Worker Medical Assessments Advice: New-starter and Periodic

The updated assessment contains the following components.

• Section 1 is completed by the employer. It includes information about the AMA, the employer, the worker's position, similar exposure groups and trhe health risks associated with employment
• Section 2 is completed by the worker. It documents the worker's personal details as well as work and medical history information. Photo ID must be brought to the assessment
• Section 3 is completed by an examining medical officer and details clinical findings
• Section 4 (the health assessment report) is completed and signed by the AMA and details fitness for duty, work restrictions and requirements for a subsequent follow-up and assessment of the worker. Only this section is forwarded to the employer.

IMPORANT: The AMA only completes Section 4 when all examinations and follow up investigations, including the ILO outcome after the dual-B read process. Interim Section 4’s aare no longer available.

Lungscreen ID registration

The employer should advise the worker/candidate that it is mandatory to register on the Lungscreen portal. The worker/candidate will then automatically be issued with a registration number. It is vital the candidate/worker registers as soon as possible and registration is only required once Jema Clinic can expedite all the process of Lungscreen registration for you and follow up the progress of your result at your request. Otherwise, the worker can follow the link below for registration. The worker/candidate can complete the online registration here. Ideally the workers Lungscreen ID is provided at the time of booking, but can be provided at the clinic on the day of assessment.

EXTERNAL SERVICES: ILO Chest X-Ray process and price:

Urgent: Chest X-ray (A reader is done in an approved Radiology location-ray Report (B Reader) is sent to Lung screening for Reporting. For a fast turnaround result within 24 hours, we recommend a payment option for Urgent reporting to all our patients, however a patient can decide otherwise. Fees will be discussed with you by our Friendly Receptionist. AMA Review result and complete section 4, send it to your employer.

Note that there are laws protecting the confidentiality of the information contained within a Coal Board Medical and the results can only be released to the worker and/or an appointed representative. The legislation prohibits providing any documents other than the ‘Section 4’ to the employer.

Routine: where the worker has a medical issue to be followed up, or there are delays in completing off-site services (e.g. ILO Chest X-ray) could take longer.

Review X-Rays

Legislation requires that all Queensland Coal mine workers require a NEW ILO Chest X-ray every 5 years as a minimum. In addition, although a new image may not be required, you must always be able to provide a copy of the previous report for the AMA to consider when reviewing your medical fitness. It is the experience of our AMAs that ILO Chest X-rays older than 2 years may have quality issues with the image or report. We recommend you get a new image and report completed if you are unable to provide a report that is less than 2 years old.

Please select the additional service of ILO Chest X-ray if you are unable to provide a copy of a recent ILO Chest X-ray report (from the past 2 years) at the time of your appointment. The Section 4 cannot be completed by the AMA without either the new, or previous ILO Chest X-ray report.

Where reliance on a past report is made, it is the responsibility of the candidate to provide this report at the time of the medical. The medical will be pending until the information is received and can be processed.