Occupational medicine
A medical examination referral is the document a Polish employer issues before a pre-employment, periodic or return-to-work examination (Labour Code Art. 229 § 4a). It describes the job and its dangerous, harmful and strenuous factors so the occupational physician can confirm fitness for work.
This guide covers who issues the referral, what it contains, how to describe hazardous factors and measurement results, when each examination type applies and how referrals follow from the occupational risk assessment. References are to Polish law.
Published: 2026-11-12 · Updated: 2026-11-12 · 7 min read · Varilo deployment team
Short answer: the employer (Art. 229 § 4a). The template is set by the 1996 regulation on employee medical examinations: examination type, person, job, a description of working conditions including dangerous, harmful and strenuous factors, and current measurement results. The employer pays; periodic and return-to-work examinations take place during working hours where possible.
All factors actually present: physical (noise, vibration, dust, radiation, microclimate), chemical, biological and other, including work at height, display screen work, driving, shift and night work. Sources are the risk assessment, the chemical register and workplace measurements. Omitted factors mean the certificate may not cover real conditions.
Pre-employment examinations apply to new hires and transfers to jobs with harmful factors; they are not required when the person is re-hired within 30 days for the same conditions with a valid certificate, except for particularly dangerous work. Periodic examinations follow the date set by the physician. Return-to-work examinations are required after sickness absence longer than 30 days. No one may work without a valid certificate (Art. 229 § 4); appeals go within 7 days to the regional occupational medicine centre.
When conditions change: a transfer to new harmful factors, a new chemical, exceeded noise limits or new night work should trigger a risk assessment review and a check whether certificates still apply. Sanitary-epidemiological examinations (e.g. food handling) are separate and do not replace Labour Code examinations.
In VIMS hazardous factors are assigned to the job, so the medical examinations module builds referrals from the risk assessment, chemical register and exposure monitoring. It stores certificate dates and next due dates — no health data — and sends reminders. Try VIMS through our contact page.
Based on Art. 229 of the Labour Code. Scope and frequency are set by the occupational physician.
| Examination | When | Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment | Before hiring or transfer to harmful conditions | Art. 229 § 1 | Exemption: re-hire within 30 days, same conditions |
| Periodic | On the date in the certificate | Art. 229 § 2 | Also after ending work with carcinogens |
| Return-to-work | After sickness absence over 30 days | Art. 229 § 2 | Before returning to work |
Medical examinations
Medical examinations — certificate validity tracked without paging through files
An expired medical certificate means a worker cannot be allowed to work. With a hundred people a spreadsheet still copes. With several hundred, turnover and shift work you need a register that raises upcoming dates by itself.
Explore the VIMS EHS module: Medical examinations with due-date remindersEmployees and competence
Employees and competence — one record instead of ten separate name lists
The same people appear on the training list, in the examination schedule, in a risk assessment, on a work permit and in an accident report. If each of those lists lives its own life, sooner or later they stop agreeing. This module fixes the problem at the data level, not at the form level.
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Run risk assessment online: hazards, risk levels, control measures and reviews in one place, connected to what actually happens on site.
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Workplace measurements — results, exposure ratios and retest dates in one register
A measurement report usually goes into a binder and resurfaces at the next audit. Yet the result decides how often examinations are needed, what a referral must cover and what the risk assessment should say. This module turns a report into data you can use day to day.
Explore the VIMS EHS module: Work environment measurementsThe employer or an authorised person — Art. 229 § 4a of the Labour Code.
All physical, chemical, biological and strenuous or dangerous factors present at the job, with current measurement results.
After sickness absence lasting more than 30 days, before returning to work.
The employer.
See how VIMS links risk assessment, chemicals and measurements to medical referrals and reminds you of certificate due dates.
