What Is the PCMSO? NR-7 Rules and How to Manage It

Monitoring workers' health is both a legal obligation and a critical step in preventing occupational disease. For that follow-up to be standardised and based on clinical criteria, Brazilian legislation requires a specific programme to be implemented.

So what exactly is the PCMSO?

In this article we explain the concept behind this programme, detail the mandatory occupational examinations based on the updates to Regulatory Standard 7 (NR-7), and show the points of attention for organising health routines in your company.

What is the PCMSO and what is it for?

PCMSO stands for Programa de Controle Médico de Saúde Ocupacional — Occupational Health Medical Control Programme. It is a continuous action plan, regulated by NR-7, whose purpose is to screen for and detect work-related health conditions early, as well as to identify possible excessive exposure to harmful agents.

The PCMSO does not work in isolation. It must be drawn up with strict reference to the occupational hazards and risks (physical, chemical, biological and ergonomic) previously identified and classified in the company's Risk Management Programme (PGR).

Occupational medical examinations under the updated NR-7

The programme is executed in practice through clinical assessments and complementary examinations, which result in the issue of the Occupational Health Certificate (ASO). With the update to the standard, the naming and deadlines of some examinations became stricter.

NR-7 requires the following examinations:

Pre-employment: must be carried out before the employee takes up their duties.
Periodic: carried out at intervals defined by the occupational physician based on the risks identified in the PGR. For workers exposed to specific risks or with chronic conditions, the examination takes place every year (or at shorter intervals). For other employees, every two years.
Return to work: mandatory on the first day back for employees absent for 30 days or more due to illness or accident (occupational or otherwise). Note: under the new NR-7 this examination is no longer required on return from maternity leave, unless there is a specific clinical condition.
Change of occupational risk: replaced the former "change of role" examination. It must be carried out before the worker moves to an activity, department or workstation involving exposure to risks different from those they were subject to.
Exit: must be carried out within 10 days of the end of the employment contract. It may be waived only if the last occupational examination took place less than 135 days earlier (for companies at risk levels 1 and 2) or less than 90 days earlier (risk levels 3 and 4).

Why PCMSO management matters

Many companies limit themselves to issuing the base document but fail in continuous operation. PCMSO management demands rigorous control of periodic examination deadlines, secure storage of medical records for at least 20 years after termination, and the preparation of the annual analytical report.

Efficient PCMSO management ensures health data is always organised and centralised. With well-structured processes, the team eliminates parallel spreadsheet controls and can supply the right information at the right time to the HR department (which will later structure the data). The focus of management is to create a reliable information flow between the clinic, occupational safety and HR.

So there are no gaps in this continuous flow of information and no NR-7 deadlines are missed, investing in technology for organising routines is essential. Discover how to optimise EHS process management in your operation with GAP Sistemas' technology solutions.