Medical Examinations of Construction Workers
You're taking on a new lad for the site. He wants to start tomorrow. There's just one snag: without a valid medical certificate from an occupational health…
You're taking on a new lad for the site. He wants to start tomorrow. There's just one snag: without a valid medical certificate from an occupational health doctor, you're not allowed to let him work. It doesn't matter that he's your cousin, that he's as fit as a fiddle, or that you needed the job done yesterday. No certificate is no certificate - and if the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) comes knocking, that's your problem, not his. In this article, step by step: what types of medical examinations there are, who refers whom, how to fill in the referral so the doctor doesn't send you away empty-handed, and how to keep a register of dates so none slip past you. In the BudoReady packages you get a ready-made referral template and a medical examination register - you enter the details and carry on.
The key points in brief
- Without a valid medical certificate (occupational health) you cannot let an employee work - full stop.
- There are three types of examinations: pre-employment (before starting), periodic (recurring, with the date set by the doctor) and return-to-work (after an illness lasting longer than 30 days).
- It's you as the employer who issues the referral - with a description of the role and the harmful factors: dust, noise, work at height.
- For work at height, a special note is required: "work at height above 3 m" - without it the doctor doesn't know what to examine.
- An employee without a certificate is formally not permitted to work - and letting someone work without examinations risks a fine.
Why no certificate means not a single step onto the site
The rule is simple and there are no exemptions for micro-companies. Article 229 of the Labour Code states plainly: an employer may not let an employee work without a current medical certificate confirming there are no contraindications to work in the given role. The details - which examinations, how often, how to issue the referral - are governed by the Regulation of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of 30 May 1996 on preventive examinations.
What does that mean in practice on site? Simply that if the lad climbs onto the scaffolding without a valid certificate and something happens, there's no debate about whether he was careful. He wasn't permitted to work. And you - as the one who let him. During an inspection, the PIP inspector checks this as one of the first things: personnel files and examination expiry dates. This isn't paperwork for the sake of paperwork. It's the front line where construction firms come unstuck.
Three types of examination - pre-employment, periodic, return-to-work
There's no "one examination for life". There are three situations, and in each you refer the employee for a different type of examination. Remember this table, because you'll keep coming back to it:
| Type of examination | When | Who refers / performs |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment | Before starting work - before a new employee even sets foot on the site. | The referral is issued by the employer; the examination is performed by an occupational health doctor. |
| Periodic | Recurring, during employment. The date of the next examination is set by the doctor in the certificate (depending on the role and the factors involved). | The referral is issued by the employer; the examination is performed by an occupational health doctor. |
| Return-to-work | After being unfit for work due to an illness lasting longer than 30 days - before the employee returns to the site. | The referral is issued by the employer; the examination is performed by an occupational health doctor. |
Pre-employment - before the first day
A new employee, a move to a more demanding role, or someone transferred to a role with different harmful factors - all of these require a pre-employment examination. The most common mistake made by a foreman: "let him start, we'll sort the paperwork next week". No. The pre-employment examination has to happen before he's let to work. If there's no certificate on the day he starts, you formally can't let him on site.
Periodic - so they don't lapse
These are the examinations that most often slip past. The doctor writes the date of the next examination on the certificate - and that's your deadline to keep an eye on. It might be in a year, in two, in four - depending on the certificate, the role and the harmful factors. Don't guess. You look at the certificate and enter that date into the register. If a periodic examination lapses while the employee keeps working, you're in the same hole as with a missing pre-employment one.
Return-to-work - coming back after a long sick leave
Was the employee off sick for more than 30 days? Before returning to the site, he has to undergo a return-to-work examination confirming he's fit to work in his role. A broken arm, an operation, a longer illness - it makes no difference. More than 30 days off due to illness = a return-to-work examination before coming back. Without it, once again you have an employee formally not permitted to work.
The referral - your responsibility, and where mistakes creep in
It's you who issues the referral. The occupational health doctor examines based on what you write - he can't read minds and he hasn't been to your site. If you describe the role badly, you'll get a certificate that protects nothing, because the doctor examined "for a desk job", not for scaffolding.
The referral must include, among other things:
- the job title and a description of the type of work (e.g. scaffolder, bricklayer, machine operator),
- information about the harmful and onerous factors present in the role,
- where relevant - a note about work at height.
On a construction site the most common factors that must not be left out are dust (cement, concrete, wood, grinding), noise (breakers, saws, generators) and work at height. The more precisely you describe them, the better for you - because the certificate will then cover the real risk, not a vague generality.
Work at height above 3 m - a special note
This is the point where a huge number of firms come unstuck. If an employee is going to climb onto scaffolding, ladders or floor slabs, the referral must carry a clear note: "work at height above 3 m". That's not the same as ordinary work at height. With this note, the doctor performs additional tests (including for balance and orientation). Without this information you'll get a certificate that doesn't cover working on scaffolding - which means you formally can't let such an employee up there. Always include this note whenever the work genuinely happens above 3 m. Better to write it down and have it sorted.
In the BudoReady STANDARD package you get a ready-made referral template with fields for harmful factors and a note about work at height - you don't have to remember what goes where, because the form guides you.
An employee from Ukraine - the same rules, no leniency
There's no "he's Ukrainian, so it's different" here. An employee from Ukraine hired by your company is subject to the same rules as a Pole: a pre-employment examination before starting, periodic ones during employment, a return-to-work one after a longer illness. You issue the referral, a Polish occupational health doctor performs the examination, and the certificate must be in Polish and valid.
What to watch out for in practice:
- An examination performed in Ukraine, or a certificate issued there, does not replace a Polish occupational health certificate for work in Poland.
- The language barrier - make sure the employee understands where and when his appointment is, and what the doctor concluded. That's why BudoReady documents come in PL and UA versions.
- The rest of the paper trail (referral, certificate in the file, entry in the register) is identical to that of an employee from Poland.
In short: the paperwork is the same. The only difference is the language you use to communicate with the employee - and here bilingual templates help.
No certificate = employee not permitted and a fine
Let's say it plainly, no beating about the bush. An employee without a valid medical certificate is formally not permitted to work. If he works anyway, you're in breach of occupational health and safety (OSH) rules - and the PIP inspector can impose a fine. It's one of the classic "easy" inspection points: the inspector opens the file, looks at the examination date, and either it's all clear or you've got a problem from the first minute.
And one more thing to bear in mind: from 8 July 2026 a PIP reform comes into force, strengthening the inspectorate's powers. This is not the moment to have your examinations in a mess. It's cheapest to have it all in order before anyone comes to check. If you're preparing for such a visit, see our PIP inspection checklist - you'll go through it point by point and check whether anything's missing.
How to keep a register of examination dates
Knowing which examination is due when is no use if the dates live in your head or on loose scraps of paper. You need a medical examination register - a single place where you keep track of the dates for the whole crew. It can be a simple table, as long as it's kept up to date.
What the register should contain:
- the employee's name and role,
- the type of examination (pre-employment / periodic / return-to-work),
- the date the examination was performed,
- the expiry date / date of the next examination - copied straight from the certificate,
- notes (e.g. restrictions from the certificate, a note about work at height).
An old hand's tip: set yourself a reminder 30 days before the expiry date of each periodic examination. That way you have time to book the appointment and no one drops off the schedule because of a lapsed examination. Better to reserve a slot in advance than to scramble for an employee overnight once the certificate has already expired.
And one more thing: examinations aren't everything. Alongside them, keep an eye on your OSH training records - induction, job-specific and periodic. The inspector looks at both together, so both registers should always be up to date.
Have it all in order - the STANDARD package
Medical examinations are no place for improvisation. A referral template with fields for harmful factors and a note about work at height, an examination register with expiry dates, plus OSH training records - in the STANDARD package (449 zł, 27 files) you get it all ready-made. It's the version that already includes examinations and training, which is exactly the set on which construction micro-companies most often come unstuck during an inspection. You fill in your company's and crew's details, print, file them - and off you go to do your job, instead of poring over forms.
The documents come in PL and UA versions, so you can communicate with the whole crew. The promotion runs until 7 July 2026 - that is, just before the PIP reform comes into force. It's a good moment to get your paperwork in order before anything changes.
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from an OSH specialist or an assessment of the legal position in your individual case. Document templates require individual adaptation to your company's circumstances and specific roles, and it's worth verifying the current legal position as at the date you use them.