Fitness for Task Assessment and Health Surveillance: The purpose of a fitness for task assessment is to ensure proper placement of prospective employees in job positions that will match their capabilities without risk to themselves or co-workers. The employee's health status should be compatible with their job position and confirmed by fitness for task assessments as required12. The fitness for task assessment is to be conducted by an appropriately qualified health-care professional, who will determine the extent of the assessment, dependent on the essential/required job position functions and country legal requirements. Typical components include a comprehensive health history, routine blood work and urinalysis, audiometric and pulmonary function tests, and visual acuity testing. More specific medical examinations may be required for specific workplace exposures. Other tests such as functional capacity evaluation or trade testing may be required for particular job groups. The fitness for task assessment should: (a) use appropriate methods to detect relevant health issues that could impact future work capabilities; (b) cover both physical and mental health; (c) maintain employee confidentiality; (d) comply with local regulatory agencies and industry standards; (e) reduce employer liability and be cost-effective; (f) have reasonable accommodation where appropriate/required; (g) assess the employee's compatibility with the demands of the job without risk to the employee or co-workers; and (h) ensure proper placement of prospective employees in jobs that will match their capabilities. The frequency and content of a fitness for task assessment will be dependent on: (a) the type of job tasks and inherent health risks; (b) the type, amount, duration and frequency of workplace exposure; and (c) local regulatory legislation and industry standards. Other factors that may influence the frequency and content of an assessment include the employee's age, past medical history and current health status. Health surveillance is the specific examination of certain aspects of health which may be affected by identified workplace health hazards. While this process may include some similar testing to routine fitness for task assessments, the purpose is different. The health surveillance process monitors the potential effect of the job on the individual, not suitability for task. Health surveillance is also an ongoing process, although periodicity may be different from a fitness for task assessment. It may be conducted in conjunction with fitness for task assessments where convenient and appropriate. Where pre-placement health assessments are considered necessary, they should be conducted after an offer of employment is made. They should be designed to verify the suitability of new employees for their job positions in accordance with their physical and mental capacities and the physical, psychosocial and environmental demands of the job, and should accommodate individuals with medical conditions or disabilities where possible. The assessments aim to ensure that the new employee does not have any health-related condition that may be aggravated by the job duties or that may affect the health and safety of coworkers. Pre-placement assessments also provide baseline data against which future evaluative data can be measured.