[The experience of the ARPEGES unit at the university hospital in Clermont-Ferrand: evaluation and management of hospital staff's occupational health]

Abstract

In 2003, the university hospital in Clermont-Ferrand, France, established an Analysis Unit for Occupational Hazards and Health Status Evaluation and Management (Analyses des Risques Professionels et Evaluation et Gestion de l'Etat de Santé-ARPEGES) in order to make better use of occupational health data. The unit's analyses are mostly based on a standardised questionnaire that is systematically completed during the annual occupational medical examinations, which collects information on 23 indicators of occupational and health risks. The annual analysis of the indicators contributes to a comprehensive, collective vision of health problems, and a better definition of the target areas and means for action. After four years of operation, the unit's products and results demonstrate an indisputable benefit of prevention and corrective action. This instrument for guidance modified the "culture" of the service, and today it appears essential to the definition of its orientations.