Occupational Health Nurse – Countrywide Travel

Job Description

• Our client is proposing a full-time, in-house Occupational Health Nurse appointment to establish and coordinate a Group occupational health service, delivering competent, risk-based employee health screening and medical surveillance, applicable fitness certification, health promotion, clinical referral and confidential record management.
• The post supports manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and field installation operations across the Group, and is intended to improve service access, compliance and continuity — not to replace doctors where their involvement is legally required.

ROLE OVERVIEW

• Base Location: Wynberg Head Office, Johannesburg
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, with meal breaks and travel arrangements in accordance with company policy and labour law
• Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time, in close functional collaboration with Group HSE
• Travel: Essential — willingness and ability to travel regularly to all Group branches, including Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban, Nelspruit and Polokwane

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Occupational Assessments and Fitness for Work

• Conduct pre-placement, baseline, periodic, exit and appropriate return-to-work assessments according to job demands, risk assessments and approved clinical protocols.
• Assess relevant personnel including drivers, forklift and other mobile equipment operators, paint mixers, production and warehouse employees and installation technicians.
• Review occupational and medical histories, job exposures, medication or symptoms affecting work safety, and relevant physical and functional requirements.
• Issue and sign medical certificates of fitness only for categories and circumstances expressly permitted by applicable law, professional scope, documented competency and customer requirements, recording restrictions and referrals appropriately.
• Coordinate GP or Occupational Medicine Practitioner (OMP) examinations, including PrDP documentation where the nurse does not hold verified applicable authority, abnormal findings, exposure-related disease or restricted-duty clearance.

Comprehensive Health Screening

• Undertake clinically appropriate vital signs and general health checks, including blood pressure, pulse, height, weight, body mass index and relevant medical history.
• Offer or conduct blood glucose, cholesterol or lipid screening, urine dipstick testing and other approved point-of-care checks where clinically appropriate, consented to and supported by training, quality control and equipment.
• Conduct vision screening, audiometry and spirometry where the practitioner holds current recognised training and competency and uses compliant equipment, procedures and test environments.
• Provide clear results counselling, appropriate health education and referral to a doctor, laboratory, audiologist or other specialist when findings fall outside nursing scope or clinical protocols.
• Ensure routine wellness tests are not treated as mandatory fitness tests without a justified job risk, clinical indication or lawful policy basis.

Group Medical Surveillance and Clinical Governance

• Work with HSE to develop risk-based screening protocols for chemical, dust, noise, physical and other relevant occupational exposures.
• Maintain a confidential medical surveillance programme, certificate expiry tracker, appointment schedule and appropriate follow-up across all branches.
• Monitor hearing conservation, respiratory health and employee health trends, and escalate significant findings promptly to the appropriate clinician.
• Maintain informed consent, privacy, POPIA-aligned medical records, infection prevention, equipment calibration and clinical waste controls.
• Provide first response to workplace medical incidents within current competency, and coordinate referrals, injury-on-duty follow-up and employee education.
• Report anonymised trends, service volumes, compliance status and outstanding actions to management, without disclosing unnecessary personal medical information.

REQUIREMENTS:

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

Minimum Appointment Criteria

• Current South African Nursing Council (SANC) registration as a Professional Nurse, and a recognised occupational health nursing qualification recorded or listed with SANC.
• Documented current competence and relevant certificates in audiometry, spirometry and vision screening.
• Audiometric qualification or registration must meet the current Noise Exposure
• Regulations and recognition requirements.
• Current Basic Life Support or equivalent emergency response competency, and professional indemnity cover appropriate to the work.
• Demonstrated experience delivering occupational health assessments in industrial, manufacturing,
• logistics or similar settings; three to five years is preferred.
• Working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and relevant regulations,
• professional boundaries, confidential medical recordkeeping and referral pathways.
• Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel nationally, including overnight trips where scheduled; strong administration and digital record skills.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• SASOHN membership.
• Experience in point-of-care cholesterol and glucose testing.
• Experience in chronic disease risk counselling and site health education.
• Experience in Group medical surveillance reporting.

Scope of Practice & Clinical Arrangements

• PrDP Form MC sign-off is to remain with an appropriately authorised medical practitioner, unless the applicant holds any required additional occupational health practitioner accreditation and acceptance by the relevant authority.
• Abnormal audiometry, spirometry, chemical exposure or other safety-critical findings must be managed under written escalation and referral criteria — the nurse is not expected to diagnose, prescribe or certify beyond legal authority.
• The company will provide or arrange a suitable private clinic and compliant, calibrated testing equipment, portable branch arrangements and secure record systems.