In General, What is a Company Doctor?

Why do we need a Company Doctor in Japan?

Difference between a Clinician and a Company Doctor in Japan.

What does a Company Doctor do?

In General, a Company Doctor would;

In General, What is a Company Doctor?

“Company Doctor” in this homepage means Japan Medical Association authorized Occupational Health Physician. (The qualification of the occupational health physician in Japan depends on the recognition of Japan Medical Association.)

The occupational health physician depends on the skills, techniques and knowledge of the industrial hygienist to provide insight into the health background of an employee's job.

Company Doctor helps the companies in fulfilling their employees' health, security and safety obligations, and recommend on improving employees' health plans.

Why do we need a Company Doctor in Japan?

1. In Japan, article 13 of Industrial Safety and Health Hygiene Law（労働安全衛生法） suggests that; a company with more than 50 employees must have a company doctor who will help them with their personal health management and who will advise the company on employees' health management issues.

2. Corporate Social Responsibility

3. Risk management

Difference between a Clinician and a Company Doctor in Japan.

What does a Company Doctor do?

In many cases it is extremely difficult to differentiate between the symptoms of occupational and non-occupational disease.
In general, the industrial hygienist, by pointing out the work operations and their associated hazards, enables the physician to correlate the employee's condition and complaints with the known potential job health hazards. The physician uses the information provided by the industrial hygienist on the hazards present in the industrial environment to:
Determine employee response to the work environment;
Correlate employee complaints with potential hazards areas;
Undertake special biochemical tests to determine if normal bodily functions have been impaired;
Provide the employee medical guidance on general health problems in relation to the physical requirements of the job;
Through physical examinations, select workers for job assignments where pre-existing conditions will not be aggravated nor will the worker's presence endanger the health and safety of others

Company doctor work for the benefits of both employees and managers;
 For your better performance…
 Safe and comfortable workplace.
 Mental and physical health management.
 Interview (consultation): job replacement, absence from work and reinstatement.

Company doctor work for the benefits of the managers;
 For your team’s (subordinates / employees) better performance…
 Mental health of their subordinates / employees.
 Correspondence to a person of his/her job replacement, absence from work and reinstatement.

Company doctor recommends the company on improving employees' health plans.

In General, a Company Doctor would;

 Visit a company once a month.
 Analyze employees' health situation based on the result of their periodic health check-up reports.
 Provide health care guidance and consultations to employees (recently, most of the guidance is related to lifestyle and mental disease).
 Interview employees who’s overtime working hours exceed 100 hours per month and show signs of fatigue, on employees’ request basis.
 Advise the company on employees' health management issues.