BIOMETRIC SCREENINGS: THE ROUTE TO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Abstract

Biometric characteristics such as fingerprints, palmprints, iris, or face recognition have been used at organizations to identify an individual, grant access to physical or digital facilities, and to control employees' time and attendance. Nowadays, employers recognize the importance of workers' health. For this reason, wellness programs are gaining popularity among enterprises. As part of these programs, other biometric traits such as height, weight, blood samples are acquired at biometric screening events. Their main objective is to promote healthy habits within the workforce via early prevention and timely interventions of diseases. The present work goes beyond the biometric screenings' health benefits that are broadly reported and analyzes the implication of the screenings over occupational safety and health For this purpose, a literature review was carried out. Literature research and analysis conveyed relevant information regarding the application of biometrics in the workplace via biometric screenings. The revision of pertinent scientific documents showed that biometric characteristics acquired in a biometric screening event and the subsequent results’ analysis can aid in the identification of unconventional hazards that can affect occupational safety and health. Furthermore, the present study describes different examples on how a biometric screening results can be associated with occupational hazards and consequently affect occupational safety and health.