Your OHC Monthly Reports: Don’t Make These Critical Mistakes

An Occupational Health Centre (OHC) may record consultations, medical examinations, referrals and medicine use every month. The management review should explain what those records mean for the workplace and which decisions need attention.

For Human Resources (HR) and Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) teams, a useful report connects activity with coverage, follow-up and accountability. Start by avoiding these eight reporting mistakes.

1. Using consultation totals as the main performance measure

A higher visit count may reflect better access, repeat visits, a temporary increase in illness or a change in workforce size. A lower count may reflect fewer complaints, but it may also mean employees cannot easily reach the OHC.

Report total visits and unique employees separately. Explain repeat visits and relevant changes in operating hours, shifts or service availability. Avoid targets that discourage employees from seeking care or reporting concerns.

2. Showing percentages without a clear denominator

“Medical examinations completed: 80%” is difficult to interpret unless the report identifies who was due, during which period, and what counts as completed.

Define the eligible workforce for each measure. Reconcile employee and contractor coverage with the agreed service scope and applicable requirements. Include relevant shifts and departments, while avoiding identifiable health information in small groups.

• State the reporting period, site and source of each measure.
• Show both the number completed and the number due.
• Explain exclusions, missing records and changes in workforce size.
• Use consistent definitions when comparing months.

3. Calling a medical examination complete when results remain unreviewed

Attendance at a health camp is one stage in a longer process. Tests may still be pending, results may await clinical review, or an employee may need advice and follow-up.

Track the stages separately: examination attended, required results received, medical review completed, employee informed and any follow-up arranged. The responsible occupational health clinician should define the clinical pathway and urgency.

Agree examination scope and timing with the medical team using workplace risks and current applicable requirements. A standard package or calendar reminder should not substitute for that assessment.

4. Closing referral cases when the referral is issued

A referral entry records a decision to seek further care. It does not establish that the consultation happened or that the required next step was completed.

The clinical team should maintain appropriate follow-up records. The management summary can show aggregate numbers due, completed, pending or awaiting confirmation, with reasons for administrative delays where relevant. Clinical urgency and employee confidentiality must guide the process.

Review whether referral arrangements work when needed. Avoid judging performance simply by reducing referrals; medically necessary escalation should remain available.

5. Accepting health trends without checking the context

An increase in a complaint category deserves review. Check whether the pattern reflects more employees, repeat consultations, seasonal illness, recording changes or a possible workplace concern.

Where the data supports it, the medical team and EHS team can review aggregate patterns alongside relevant exposure information and workplace observations. A symptom count alone does not establish that work caused an illness.

Show several months where available, explain unusual changes and record the investigation or preventive action agreed. Label incomplete data clearly instead of presenting it as a reliable trend.

6. Leaving operational readiness out of OHC monthly reports

Include evidence that the agreed OHC service was available. Compare planned staffing coverage with actual coverage by role and shift, and explain gaps and replacement arrangements.

Also review stock shortages, upcoming expiries, equipment checks and maintenance due. Track emergency contact arrangements, referral coordination, ambulance readiness where included, and findings from scheduled drills or training.

Use the site’s approved emergency plan and applicable requirements to define readiness. Equipment and supplies should reflect the workplace risk assessment and clinical scope.

7. Repeating action points without evidence of closure

If the same issue appears month after month, “follow-up ongoing” gives management little direction. Each action needs a named owner, priority, due date and a clear completion criterion.

Separate new actions, overdue actions, verified closures and reopened issues. For example, an equipment service request remains open until the required work and verification are complete. Where relevant, check that the corrective action has prevented recurrence.

8. Circulating confidential medical details in management reports

HR and EHS need information for workplace action. Broad management circulation should generally use aggregated findings and action status, with safeguards against identifying individuals from small groups.

Keep individual diagnoses, prescriptions and investigation results in restricted clinical records. Share individual fitness conclusions or necessary work restrictions only through authorised processes, with appropriate consent or another valid legal basis. Define access, storage, retention and sharing rules with the responsible professionals.

A simple OHC monthly report dashboard

Use counts, denominators and pending items together. The following figures are an illustrative example, not HOSCONS client results, legal thresholds or recommended performance targets.

Define “due” to include relevant overdue items brought forward. Keep completed items within the same denominator and avoid duplicate counting. If nothing was due, show “not applicable” with an explanation. A good percentage does not cancel out a serious unresolved issue.

Frequently asked questions

What should OHC monthly reports include?

Include service activity, workforce coverage, aggregate health trends, examination and follow-up status, staffing and readiness gaps, and an action tracker. Select measures that fit the site’s risks and service scope.

Who should review the report?

The responsible OHC clinician should review clinical interpretation. HR, EHS and relevant operational owners should review the management summary and actions. Involve worker representatives through appropriate arrangements while protecting individual medical information.

Does a monthly report prove statutory compliance?

No. This is a practical management framework. Confirm site-specific obligations under current applicable law, including any required records, examinations, notifications and submissions. A monthly dashboard does not replace those obligations or immediate escalation procedures.