في شعبان.. تطبيق لائحة «فحص اللياقة المهنية» على جميع القطاعات

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development will begin implementing the Professional Fitness and Non-Communicable Diseases Testing Regulation at the start of the upcoming month of Sha'ban, applying it to all employees in government entities, private sector establishments, and non-profit organizations. This is a qualitative step aimed at enhancing occupational safety and ensuring the efficiency and sustainability of work environments across various sectors.

This regulation, which was approved by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health and published in the official Umm al-Qura newspaper, is part of the national policy for occupational safety and health issued by Cabinet Decision No. (328), which is based on the principle of comprehensive prevention and protecting workers from hazards before they occur.

Comprehensive Application Inside and Outside the Kingdom

According to the new regulation, its provisions apply to all workers within the Kingdom's territory, including employees of public entities, workers in private sector establishments, and non-profit organizations, regardless of the nature of the contractual relationship.

It also includes workers on temporary or seasonal contracts, trainees, individuals with disabilities, remote workers, in addition to employees in diplomatic and consular missions and official offices of the Kingdom abroad.

Examinations Before Hiring and After Injuries

The regulation mandates entities to conduct professional fitness examinations in several cases, most notably:

• Before hiring or employment, which is a prerequisite for accepting the candidate.
• After a work-related injury or returning from a long sick leave.
• When changing jobs or work environments or using new equipment and devices.
• In high-risk professions such as aviation, public transport, diving, firefighting, and handling chemicals or radiation.

The aim of these examinations is to periodically monitor the health status of workers and ensure their fitness to perform their tasks without endangering their health or the safety of others.

Confidentiality Obligations

The regulation obliges government entities and employers in the public and private sectors and non-profit organizations to:

• Provide the necessary resources to conduct the examinations.
• Create electronic professional health records to store examination results in accordance with personal data protection regulations.
• Enable workers to undergo examinations at the scheduled time without delay.

It also emphasizes the confidentiality of medical data, prohibiting employers from accessing the health details of the worker, with only the examination result being communicated (fit – fit with restrictions – unfit).

The worker or entity has the right to contest the result within 30 days, with objections to be reviewed by an independent committee that will issue its decision within 15 days from the date of submission.

National Database for Occupational Health

The Ministry of Human Resources aims, through the new regulation, to establish a comprehensive national database for the health status of all workers in the labor market, allowing for the monitoring of health and occupational trends and improving compliance with local standards and international agreements.

The ministry confirms that this step will contribute to enhancing performance efficiency and productivity, reducing occupational injuries and diseases, and achieving safer and more sustainable work environments.

Vision 2030: Human Safety First

The regulation comes as part of the Kingdom's commitment to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in the quality of life axis, enhancing human capital as a fundamental pillar for sustainable development.

The ministry affirmed that the adoption of "Professional Fitness Testing" represents a strategic shift in the concept of occupational prevention, establishing a culture of workplace safety across all sectors, making the worker the focus of protection and care in a modern work environment that considers both mental and physical health equally.