It appears you have conducted a risk assessment to some degree to implement the controls you have. There is no reason not to document it.

and the medical practitioners "fit note" stated? 

The whole purpose of these documents was to provide an employer with relevant information about any significant considerations they would need to make about the return of an employee previously unfit to work.

You definitley need medical/clinical advice, which for us would happen before the employee returned to work.  OH would be best place to advise on how any remaining condition may be affected by the employee's role and the scope of that.  Depending on the advice, and you'd need to provide a detailed description of his role to OH, then you could then decide whether any restrictions of duties are "reasonable" and timebound, i.e. I'm assuming you'd not want staff unable to undertake the full role forever?  You could at that point then undertake a personal risk assessment and review that at agreed frequencies as the member of staff recouperates.

Heart conditions are relatively frequent conditions with bypass surgery, stents. etc all being quite common remedies/treatments, therefore the individual may actually have been at greater risk prior to the condition presenting.  I've seen staff foillowing bypass for example appearing to be nmuch fitter than they were previously.

Id agree with earlier posts and an individual RA is required, If anything went wrong it would the first thing asked for.  Yes some people are fitter than pre heart attack but many are affected  with tiredness and lower strength than they one had. Also jobs differ massively, light lifting may me ok but there may be odd heavy items or a lot of physical effort involved, workplace temperature may have a bearing, Stess will definetely be a part of any assessment, it might just be keeping up with production lines but also it could be £million deals to deal with. Over many years this approach works for me, a RA worked out together with management and the recovering person, HR and GP. 

Well, it is enough that you are taka care of him by giving light duties and not do any hard work from him,
It is a good thing that you want to submit a risk assessment to the directors but please make sure that there is the medical certificate attached with it so that it will not create trouble for you in future.

Not sure I would want to get invloved with such a risk assessment. How can you ensure the assessment is suitbale and sufficent if you arent medically trained. Googlying such serious health issues and reading about them does not make you competent. Leave it all to Occupational health.

Originally Posted by: Invictus

Originally Posted by: stonecold

Not sure I would want to get invloved with such a risk assessment. How can you ensure the assessment is suitbale and sufficent if you arent medically trained. Googlying such serious health issues and reading about them does not make you competent. Leave it all to Occupational health.

I think your right I wasn't aloud back until Occy health had seen me even though the consultant said I could, a fit for work note is also a must, as this will often say what cannot be carried out. It's not only the physical demands that a heart attack has on your body it is also the mental pressure due to fear of reoccurance, effects on family life etc.

Remember they are a surviour and although most are saved now a lot of people are still lost due to a heart attack, this can have a big emotional effect.

Agree totally, Im a safety advisor and in the past have been asked by HR to do risk assessments for employees with heart conditions, brain conditions, eye conditions that I can even pronounce etc etc. I point blank refuse and make the point that a RA must be carried out by a competent person...like I said before Im not competent to try and assess significant health conditions, that why we have an occupational health provider...

What risk are we trying to assess here? As an employer you do not have the skill or knowledge to assess the risk to that person’s health from their medical condition. That is clearly something for the medical professionals.  As an employer what you should be doing is assessing the risk to that person’s safety due their condition and risk to the safety of others (co-workers and possibly members of the public) due to their condition.

You need to look at things like what is the likelihood that they we lose consciousness while working with potentially dangerous plant let’s say.

You also have to look at the severity of the consequences of them passing out. It could be that the systems already in place will automatically safely stop the plant/machinery if the operator loses consciousness.

As noted it seems that you did not carry out a risk assessment before their treatment when the risk of them passing out was probably higher than after the treatment.  It is unlikely that the treatment has increased the risk; it’s just that you now know that a risk exists.

If it was alright then, isn’t it alright now?

Interesting topic. What would have helped is, if you described just exactly what this person's job actually was.  

Making assumptions rather than fact is probably more dangerous than writing the risk assessment.  I take anticoagulant daily, but I see no need for an independant risk assessment for the job I do.  I do however, let whoever is inducting me know that if I cut myself I may bleed more than others. 

Do you complete a risk assessment for every person returning to work after a period of illness? The answer is probably no. By the sounds of things this is your Directors taking it a little too far, instead of allowing the right department to make the assessment in the first place, or better known as  covering they're proverbial backsides.  A common sense approach to H&S will taking cognizances of legislation, regulation and your H&S Policy, doing it for the sake of an arse covering exercise means that someone has missed the point.

I would always have more faith in the Dr. than occ health, as occ health is normally employed by the company. I was told to return to work after 4 weeks of having a heart attack although the surgeon had given me a note for 12 weeks infact when I spoke with the consultant he told me that I should of even gone to the appointment as I was not fit enough.

Having been on the 'receiving end' of a heart attack (while at work but in no way connected) I can speak with some confidence on this matter. I had three stents inserted, went under a strict course of physical rehabilitation by the NHS and given the all clear to return to work by the cardiologist and the specialist nurses and physio. Yes, I take daily medication, exercise frequently, stopped smoking and follow a sensible diet. I completed a return to work certificate and since then have had no repeat occurences.

I don't see any necessity to complete a risk assessment for a condition that is more likely to arise from a persons lifestyle choices rather than their work conditions. If stress is a considered factor, related in part or full to work then complete a risk assessment. But don't take responsibility for the life style choices of an individual. (While in hospital the occupant of the bed opposite came in from outside having had a 'fag' - and he had received stents that day! Some individuals just learn the hard way)

De-Caffeinated!