Do you know the Assistant of the Occupational Medicine Service (ASST)? This is a new profession introduced in the Labor Code of 2012. Its purpose: to assist occupational doctors in the various teams. Presentation.
What is the Occupational Health Assistant (ASST)?
It is a medical secretary and a medical assistant (but not only!) operating within a company (regardless of size or sector of activity), which assists a disciplinary team made up of occupational physicians, nurses, doctors interns, various speakers on the prevention of occupational risks. The Occupational Medicine Assistant (ASST) is a new professional figure, included in the Labor Code by art.article L. 4622-8 on 1is July 2012 and its role is defined by article R. 4623-40 of the Labor Code. This ensures that the health and working conditions of the employees in the companies are optimal and safe but does not replace the responsible speaker of the occupational risk prevention.
The ASST provides administrative assistance to all members of the multidisciplinary team.
What is its role?
The assistant of the occupational health service is responsible for the secretariat, the management of consultations, the relations between employees and the company and transmits the various prevention and risk policies at work. Knowing all the occupational risks that may be present in a company, you implement all the necessary prevention measures.
True pillar of the company, he:
- Welcoming and listening to employees,
- Take care of medical visits,
- Processes, updates, archives, tracks medical records,
- At the request of the occupational doctor and as a medical assistant, he can carry out further tests,
- Inform both employees and the multidisciplinary team of the occupational health service helps with risks and regulations as well as on the various laws on the subject (risk prevention, medical visits, etc.),
- Identifies possible risks and dangers for the occupational safety and health of employees and provides advice,
- When requested by the multidisciplinary team, it follows, studies and elaborates the interventions within the company,
- Promotes occupational health within the various departments of the company,
- Collaborate in collective actions for the prevention of a professional sector
- Organize preventive interventions professional risks and occupational health,
- Write summaries of actions to be taken.
What are professional risks?
Although the employer must ensure the health and safety of its employees, there are many risks that can harm the health of employees.
The main risks to be identified are :
- The musculoskeletal disorders (TMS),
- The risks due to the organization of work such as work rhythms (night work, three eights) which can lead to psychosocial problems (depression, burnout, anxiety, etc.) or physical problems (cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, cancer, etc.),
- The professional environment (excessive noise, confined spaces, temperatures that are too hot or too cold, etc.)
- Psychosocial risks (PSR) due to stress, moral harassment and/or physical, to any kind of violence, overload or lack of work
- The chemical hazards at work with products that can be harmful to health such as chemical agents, glues, resins, asbestos, paints, dyes, etc.,
- endocrine disruptors,
- Biological risks for people working, for example, in slaughterhouses or in personal services,
- Mechanical risks that can cause injury.
How to become an occupational health assistant?
Now the question arises: how to become an occupational health assistant (or ASST) ? If you wish to become an occupational health assistant, the baccalaureate is essential as well as a year of experience in the health field or have three years experience in the health sector or occupational risk prevention.
Sophie Madun
