I understand clinical staff need this to practice, so it's a mandatory requirement for them. Anyone know a good reason why others at risk from this disease (for example waste-handlers, cleaners in clinical areas) might not be treated in a similar way (i.e. mandatory Hep B)?

Then you would need to have a routine to handle the inevitable people who a poor serological response to the vaccine, or no response. Still, maybe you could force them to have another three-course immunisation? And, of course, there is the four/five month wait..... Then there is the burning question....why was it not done before, and how at risk are/have the staff been?

When carrying out electrical inspections and testing for a contractor under contract to 'Welsh Water' it was a requirement that I, and my assistant were immunised with the jab and others inc Polio

As far as I am aware you cannot compel anyone to have immunisation. 1. It breaches someone's human rights. You can't force someone to have a substance injected into them. They may have valid reasons for not wanting that done. 2. Immunisation is a second line of defence only. Primary defence is to have systems in place to prevent infection in the first place. By all means offer, even recommend But you can't force someone to be immunised. This subject has been discussed many times on the forum...if the search engine is working.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsis7.pdf http://www.hpa.org.uk/we...d/HPAweb_C/1195733772505

Quite right. Had one three course vaccination; got no immunity. Had another six months later; still not immune. Been thigh deep in some of the most infested waterways in the country, even concrete couldn't live in it. Hacked my arm open on a muck spreader. The good old days. Nowadays I get letters from school about kids flu shots....noting it says at the bottom: "If you decide to not have your child immunised against influenza you should understand that the consequences may be serious for the child. Please sign below that you have read and understand that" Still no hepatitis though. Had the pneumovax. Don't have it, there is a reason why they inject the arm you don't write with. It doesn't work for two days after the injection. No pressure.

The NHS guidance on Hep B says that anyone who is routinely exposed to the virus can have the jab for free. I don't know if your people will qulaify though. The company I work for provides the option of having Hep B jabs to first aiders. We aren't an unusual risk site - just a manufacturing plant - but we will pay for our first aiders to have it if they wish. It costs around £90 from GPs.

I am pretty sure it's a line from a wurzels song :-)

Safetyamateur asked: "Anyone know a good reason why others at risk from this disease (for example waste-handlers, cleaners in clinical areas) might not be treated in a similar way (i.e. mandatory Hep B)?" Simple really - the risk is of transfer to patients. Where clinical staff are undertaking 'invasive procedures' you don't want the patients leaving with more than they came with. Other staff can be 'offered' the protection but they are 'expendable'.... Most NHS Trusts and private hospitals / healthcare providers will insist on it (make it mandatory) for surgeons, clinicians, dentists, surgery attendants etc. (Claire - whilst you can't 'force' someone to have a medical treatment - neither can they 'force' you to employ them. Its been a fact of life for many years for those working in this sector... and many Occ Health mandatory tests - drug and alcohol screening for example similarly blur the lines between what you can force people to do...) It may be a little callous (and I don't necessarily agree with the morality) but claims from patients are likely to be more expensive than claims from cleaners and nurses.