As prevention is always better than cure and to protect the health of the labor force, the Bureau of Labor Insurance (BLI) offers annual health examinations for prevent occupational diseases. Those exposed over the long term to a total of 32 types of hazardous operations including environments with noise, ionizing radiation, nickel and formaldehyde can apply to undergo examination with the BLI after having participated consecutively in the labor occupational accident insurance program for one year or more recently.
Each year, the BLI actively distributes information on the health examinations to around 18,000 insured units that may be engaging in hazardous operations. Statistics show that, in the past 3 years, over 259,000 workers have undergone examinations each year on average at a total cost of NT$270 million. The category with the greatest number of workers examined was noise, totaling around 139,000.
The BLI explains that health examinations for prevent occupational disease differ from general health checks in that early symptoms of occupational disease can be detected and treated, thereby preventing the occurrence of such diseases. To ensure effective prevention, different examinations are arranged targeting the characteristics of each type of hazardous operation. For instance, workers exposed to noise hazards undergo ear canal exams and hearing tests, while workers exposed to dust undergo chest x-rays and pulmonary function tests. If these tests yield anomalous results, the BLI actively notifies the worker tested for follow-up testing at medical institutions with occupational medicine departments. If such workers are diagnosed with occupational diseases, they are entitled to apply for other related benefits.
The BLI would particularly like to remind workers to apply with the BLI before undergoing health examinations. Workers reviewed and approved to be eligible for subsidized examinations will be issued a health examination certification form which they present to the medical institution conducting the exam. Those who directly proceed with their exams without prior application and approval will not be subsidized on this occasion.
For more information on health examinations for preventing occupational diseases, please visit
Health Examination to Prevent Occupational Disease