Updated: Changes to the medical check-ups Climbing with Great Hight Difference and Smoke and Chemical Diving

At the turn of the year, the Swedish Work Environment Authority's amending regulation 2023:16 came into force. The regulation affects the medical check-ups Climbing with Great Hight Difference and Smoke and Chemical Diving. The Swedish Work Environment Authority has now clarified the changes.

Last autumn, the Swedish Work Environment Authority decided that the previous requirement for an working ECG would be replaced by a resting ECG, determination of blood lipids and a medical assessment of the employee's risk of cardiovascular disease. 

What is new is that all examinations in 2024 will be considered first-time visits. This means that resting ECG and determination of blood lipids must be carried out at all of the medical check-ups Climbing with Great Hight Difference and Smoke and Chemical Diving in 2024.  

Thereafter, the previously decided periodicity, i.e. every 5 years for employees under the age of 40 and every other year for employees over the age of 40, come into effect.

The reason for the Swedish Work Environment Authority's amendment regulation is that ECG is not a sufficiently accurate method for detecting or ruling out cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the previous requirements for working ECG are replaced with new requirements, which will give the doctor greater certainty in his or her serviceability assessment.

The Swedish Work Environment Authority's amending regulation 2023:16
The Swedish Work Environment Authority's amending regulation 2023:16

What does the change mean for Falck's services?

For medical check-ups carried out in 2024, the services Climbing with a large level difference incl. resting ECG and Smoke and chemical diving incl. resting ECG must be ordered. 

For examinations to be carried out in 2025 and onwards, the following periodicity is ordered for the services of Climbing with a large difference in level incl. resting ECG and Smoke and chemical diving incl. resting ECG with the following periodicity: 

  • Prior to new employment 
  • Every five years if your employee is under the age of 40
  • Every two years if your employee is over 40 years old