What Is a Pre-Employment Medical? A Practical Guide for Employers
When you recruit a new employee, you are not just hiring skills — you are accepting responsibility for their safety, wellbeing and long-term performance within your organisation.
In roles that involve physical demands, hazardous exposure or safety-critical tasks, one key question arises early in the recruitment process:
Can this person safely perform the inherent requirements of the role?
A pre-employment medical is a job-specific occupational health assessment conducted after a conditional offer of employment. Its purpose is to determine whether a candidate can safely and sustainably perform the essential duties of a role without creating unreasonable risk to themselves, co-workers or the business.
For employers, this is not about excluding candidates unnecessarily. It is about protecting people, reducing preventable injury and meeting compliance obligations from day one.
Why Pre-Employment Medicals Matter
Pre-employment medicals play a central role in workforce risk management.
According to Safe Work Australia’s Key Work Health and Safety Statistics 2022, there were 130,195 serious workers’ compensation claims lodged in 2020–21, with body stressing accounting for 37% of all serious claims.
Employers use them to confirm that candidates are physically and medically capable of meeting the demands of the position. This is particularly important in industries such as mining, construction, transport, rail, manufacturing, healthcare and other regulated or high-risk sectors.
Beyond safety, these assessments also establish baseline medical data. If an employee later suffers an injury or develops a health condition, that baseline can help determine whether the issue was pre-existing or work-related. This can significantly strengthen claims defensibility and reduce disputes.
In short, pre-employment medicals support compliance, reduce injury exposure and help protect the organisation from avoidable financial and legal risk.
What Does a Pre-Employment Medical Involve?
The content of a pre-employment medical should always align with the inherent requirements of the role and the workplace hazards involved.
Common components may include:
- A detailed medical history questionnaire
- Physical examination assessing cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- Blood pressure and BMI measurement
- Vision testing (including colour perception if required)
- Hearing assessment (audiometry)
- Spirometry (lung function testing)
- Urinalysis
- Drug and alcohol screening for safety-sensitive roles
- Functional or musculoskeletal assessment to evaluate lifting, strength and mobility
- Blood tests where industry regulations require them
The guiding principle is relevance. Assessments must be proportionate and directly linked to the job demands.
Frequently Asked Questions for Employers
What is the purpose of a pre-employment medical?
The purpose of a pre-employment medical is to determine whether a candidate can safely perform the essential duties of a specific role and to establish baseline health data before employment begins.
When should a pre-employment medical be conducted?
Pre-employment medicals are typically conducted after a conditional job offer has been made and accepted.
Can an employer withdraw a job offer based on medical results?
An employer may withdraw a job offer if the assessment demonstrates that the candidate cannot safely perform the inherent requirements of the role and reasonable adjustments are not viable. Employers must comply with anti-discrimination and privacy legislation.
What information does the employer receive?
Employers generally receive a fitness-for-work outcome (for example: fit, fit with restrictions, or further assessment required). Detailed medical information remains confidential unless written consent is provided.
Are pre-employment medicals legally required?
Pre-employment medicals are mandatory in certain regulated industries such as mining, rail and aviation. In other sectors, they are considered best practice risk management.
The Strategic Value Beyond Compliance
While pre-employment medicals are often seen as a compliance step, their value extends further.
When structured correctly, they help reduce injury frequency by ensuring candidates are suited to the physical demands of their role. They support early identification of unmanaged health conditions. They also reinforce an organisation’s commitment to safety and due diligence.
In environments where workers are exposed to noise, dust, chemicals or repetitive physical strain, baseline health testing enables ongoing monitoring and early intervention. This preventative approach reduces long-term claims costs and operational disruption.
Pre-employment medicals also strengthen organisational defensibility. Demonstrating that a structured, role-aligned medical screening process was followed can be critical in regulatory investigations or compensation disputes.
Final Considerations
A pre-employment medical is not a recruitment hurdle. It is a structured workforce risk management tool.
For employers operating in safety-critical or physically demanding environments, it provides clarity before employment begins. It ensures the right person is placed in the right role, with appropriate safeguards in place.
When aligned with inherent job requirements and delivered by experienced occupational health professionals, pre-employment medicals contribute directly to safer workplaces, reduced claims exposure and stronger long-term workforce stability.
Whether you need a one-off pre-employment medical or a scalable workforce solution, Assist Group in Melbourne provides fast, reliable and role-specific occupational health assessments — without the long GP wait times. We service the greater Melbourne area through our affiliate network, with coverage across North Melbourne, Richmond, Port Melbourne, Footscray, Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Fairfield, Hawthorn, Altona North, Altona Meadows, Surrey Hills and Burwood, ensuring convenient access for employers across Melbourne metro and surrounding regions.
