Privacy of workers and handling of personal information in occupational health

Abstract

A non-medical personnel staff in enterprises may handle workers' health information in Japan, because occupational health legislation requires employers to keep records of workers' health examination results and to improve the working environment and the work based on the health status of each worker. Meanwhile, the notion of privacy developed in the 20th century and control over one's own personal information is now regarded as an important human right. For example, sensitive information such as health information may not be handled without consent from the person involved. Therefore, occupational health services in Japan have been exposed to high risks of workers' privacy being violated. The Health Promotion Law and the Personal Information Protection Law have been promulgated in succession in Japan, and we have already experienced court cases requiring damage from violation of privacy. However, some surveys of workers revealed that the awareness of these problems was not high, and the opinion for privacy protection differs depending on the types of health information. Occupational health professionals should be required to balance the value of proper usage and protection of the workers' health information by referring to the ethical guidelines.