What onsite occupational health services actually cost — and how to scope them

The four variables that set the scope

• Worker headcount including contract labour on peak day
• Hazard class — hazardous process, construction, warehousing or commercial
• Shift pattern — single, double or continuous 24x7 operation
• Travel time to the nearest capable hospital in real traffic

Common delivery models

• Visiting doctor + full-time nurse — mid-size non-hazardous plants
• Full-time MBBS/AFIH + shift nurses + paramedic — hazardous process plants
• Mobile health van + BLS ambulance — spread-out infra and construction projects
• Health manager + annual check camps + telemedicine — corporate campuses

What drives cost up or down

Manpower is the largest line item, followed by ambulance standby and diagnostics. Costs fall sharply when a plant shares a doctor across nearby units, moves routine screening into annual camps, and uses telemedicine for follow-ups instead of extending doctor hours.

What good reporting looks like

Ask for a monthly MIS covering OPD footfall by complaint, injury and near-miss trends, fitness-with-restriction cases, screening compliance percentage, drug consumption and expiry status, ambulance response times and open compliance gaps.

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