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A medical check-up (MCU) is often treated as paperwork: workers are examined, the results are filed, and nothing happens until the next year. Yet worker health examinations have a clear purpose. They confirm that workers are suited to their jobs, detect the effects of work on health as early as possible, and provide data to improve hazard controls at the workplace.
This article is for HSE, HR, and site management teams at mines in Indonesia. It covers the types of examination required by regulation, the tests commonly done at mine sites, and when each should be scheduled.
The regulatory basis
Worker health examinations are required by Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Regulation No. PER-02/MEN/1980 on Worker Health Examinations in the Implementation of Work Safety. The regulation is still listed as in force on the Ministry of Manpower's JDIH portal. It divides examinations into three types: pre-employment, periodic, and special. All three are carried out by a qualified doctor appointed by the employer.
Mining companies should also check the mine safety rules issued by the ministry responsible for mining, which may set additional examination requirements for certain roles.
Pre-employment examinations
A pre-employment examination takes place before a person is accepted to do the work. Under Article 2 of PER-02/MEN/1980, its purpose is to make sure the worker is in the best possible health, has no infectious disease that could spread to other workers, and is suited to the job they will do.
The regulation states that a pre-employment examination covers a complete physical examination, physical fitness, a chest X-ray (where possible), routine laboratory tests, and other tests considered necessary. For certain jobs, the examination is tailored to the hazards expected.
The employer and the doctor must draw up pre-employment examination guidelines that ensure workers are placed according to their health. If the worker was examined by a qualified doctor in the previous three months and there is no doubt about the result, the pre-employment examination does not need to be repeated.
Periodic examinations
Periodic examinations take place at set intervals once the worker is in the job. Under Article 3, their purpose is to maintain workers' health and to detect, as early as possible, effects of the work that need to be controlled through prevention.
Key provisions include:
- periodic examinations are held at least once a year, unless the competent official decides otherwise;
- they cover a complete physical examination, physical fitness, a chest X-ray (where possible), routine laboratory tests, and other tests considered necessary;
- the employer and the doctor must draw up periodic examination guidelines for each type of job;
- if abnormalities or health problems are found, management must follow up, including correcting their causes;
- health services outside the company may be used.
Special examinations
Special examinations are carried out by a doctor for particular workers. Under Article 5, their purpose is to assess the effects of specific work on individual workers or groups of workers. They are also carried out for:
- workers who have had an accident or illness requiring more than two weeks of treatment;
- workers over 40, female workers, workers with disabilities, and young workers doing certain jobs;
- workers suspected of having particular health problems.
Special examinations are also held when workers raise complaints or when an OHS inspector observes a concern.
Plans and reports
Article 6 requires companies to plan pre-employment, periodic, and special examinations. Management must also report to the labour authorities no later than two months after the examinations. In other words, MCUs need to be scheduled and documented, not run only on request.
Tests common at mine sites
The regulation does not set a single list of tests for every worker. The content is decided by the doctor and the company in the examination guidelines, based on the hazards of each job. At mine sites, commonly seen tests include:
| Group | Example tests | Link to the work |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | health and work history, physical examination, blood pressure, height and weight | overall health picture and a baseline for next year |
| Laboratory | routine blood and urine tests, plus others set in the guidelines | monitoring body function and conditions that affect fitness for work |
| Lungs | chest X-ray, spirometry (lung function) | workers exposed to dust |
| Hearing | audiometry | workers in noisy areas, such as heavy equipment operation and processing |
| Vision | visual acuity and colour vision | heavy equipment operators, drivers, and workers who read colour codes |
| Heart | electrocardiogram (ECG) for certain groups | for example workers of a certain age or in physically demanding roles |
For specialised work, such as working at height, in confined spaces, or driving mine vehicles, the doctor usually also assesses fitness for that specific task. Additional tests are decided by the doctor, not picked from a list.
Results are most useful when read together with exposure data from workplace monitoring. Hazard measurement is covered on our occupational health service page.
When to schedule examinations
- Pre-employment: before the worker is placed, ideally before mobilisation to site, so that a worker who is not yet fit is not flown in.
- Periodic: at least once a year, or more often for workers with particular exposures, as set out in the doctor's guidelines. On roster sites, schedule them while workers are on site so they do not eat into leave.
- Special: after an accident or illness requiring more than two weeks of treatment, before the worker returns to work, and whenever there are complaints or a suspected work-related health problem.
Results, fitness for work, and confidentiality
MCU results are usually translated into a fitness-for-work recommendation: fit for work, fit with adjusted duties, or needing further tests before returning to the role. The company needs this recommendation for OHS decisions, but it does not need every medical detail. Medical records are still stored and accessed in line with applicable regulations.
MCU results are also read as a group. When several workers in one area show the same change, such as reduced hearing, it is a sign that hazard controls in that area need reviewing.
Where a site has a clinic, some examinations can be done there. The occupational health clinic standard in Minister of Health Regulation No. 11 of 2025 includes worker health examinations, fitness-for-work assessment, and occupational health surveillance among the clinic's preventive services. Read more in our article on mine site clinics.
Running pre-employment, periodic, and special MCUs, including scheduling and reporting, is part of our medical center service.
