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46
MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF STAFF
92 candidates for appointment to the Council's staff were medically examined in 1959 prior
to admission to the superannuation scheme Seven, of whom 5 were aged 54 or over, failed to
pass the examination for the reasons below.
Hypertension 1
Bronchitis and Emphysema 1
Lung Cancer 1
Prolapsed intervertebral
disc and other defects 1
Chronic leg ulceration 1
Psychosis 1
Multiple Defects 1
Special medical reports are submitted on staff when sickness absence in the year exceeds
72 days. In a number of cases it has been found that although an employee may be permanently
unfit to carry out the duties of his post, he could perform some lighter duties. In order to keep
this type of case in employment the Council have earmarked a number of posts for staff fit for
light duty only and wherever it is possible transfers are made to these posts rather than
recommending retirement on grounds of permanent disability. Such cases are reviewed periodically
to ensure that the duties are within their limited physical capabilities. Also where the disability
is not of a permanent character the man may be cleared to return to his former employment.
Four cases were resettled in light employment in 1959.
Three Year Survey of Staff Sickness
Stimulated by the findings of two occupational health surveys carried out by the Health
Department at local industrial firms in 1952 and 1956 and described in my annual reports for those
years, it was decided to seek information about the incidence of illness and accidents among
Corporation employees.
By co-operation with all departments, detailed information has now been collected, over a
period of three years, by weekly returns to the Health Department of all absenteeism due to
either illness or accident.
The information requested was given under the following headings:- (1) sex; (2) age;
(3) occupation; (4) marital status of female employees; (5) whether holding established or
non-established post; (6) nature of illness or accident (International Statistical Classification cf
Diseases was used for classification); (7) date of onset of illness or accident; and (8) number
of working days lost.
The in and out-door staff of the Corporation number approximately 1,269 of which 900 are
manual workers. During the three years under review 60,329 working days were last by sickness
or accident, representing an average absence of 47.4 days per person over this period or one day
lost in every nineteen.