§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to remove occupational health hazards where a person showing a high level of cholesterol in the blood streams and thus likely to have a heart attack is responsible for machinery or vehicles where the consequences would be a disaster to others.
§ Mr. Harold Walker,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd March 1976; Vol. 908, c. 147, gave the following information:
Where significant risks to the general public have been identified, for example in the case of air line pilots and drivers of heavy goods and public service vehicles, competent authorities have laid down medical requirements. These requirements do not, I understand, normally include an estimation of blood cholesterol as a predictor of future heart attacks although my hon. Friend may be aware of a recent publication by the Royal College of Physicians of London which recommends, amongst other things, that there should be such an examination of new entrants for training as air line pilots.
If my hon. Friend has evidence that there are occupations presenting a degree of potential public risk similar to that of air line pilots for which medical examination is not now required and for which blood cholesterol estimations might usefully be introduced, I understand that the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission would be glad to arrange for this evidence to be considered by the Employment Medical Advisory Service.