Pre-Employment and Occupational Health Tests: the Order 29n List
Reviewed by the LabReadAI medical team
Before starting a new job — and then at set intervals — many workers in Russia go through a mandatory occupational check-up. Its content is not invented by each clinic: the list of tests is set by Ministry of Health Order No. 29n of 28 January 2021. We are an information service: we do not issue certificates or medical clearances, but we can help you understand exactly what you will be asked to take, why a welder's list differs from an office worker's, and how to prepare so nothing needs re-taking. The exact list is always defined by the current order and your employer's referral.
Who must take occupational check-ups
Order No. 29n does not cover everyone. It applies to workers in harmful or hazardous conditions and to specific activities: transport, work at height, industries with chemical and physical exposures, and fields where an employee's health directly affects other people — food production, catering, retail, education, healthcare, water supply. For those "contact" professions the check-up is usually combined with a personal health record book — a related but separate procedure with its own list.
An office employee with no occupational hazards most often is not subject to a mandatory check-up at all — if the employer still asks for one, that is an internal policy, not Order 29n.
The base set: what nearly everyone takes
The core is the same for most professions:
| Test | Why it is in the check-up |
|---|---|
| Complete blood count | Anaemia, inflammation, general state — the main screen |
| Urinalysis | Kidneys and urinary tract — silent findings are common |
| Blood glucose | Diabetes screening — fasting |
| Total cholesterol | Cardiovascular risk together with age and blood pressure |
| ECG and blood pressure | Heart status — clearance for physical load and shifts |
| Chest X-ray / fluorography | Tuberculosis and major lung changes, once a year |
Women additionally see a gynaecologist with bacteriological and cytological smears, and from age 40 have a mammogram every two years.
What hazards add to the base
Beyond the core, the list grows per the order's annex: each hazard has its own block of tests. Typical examples:
| Hazard / type of work | Added to the base |
|---|---|
| Chemicals (solvents, paints) | Liver enzymes — ALT, AST; sometimes bilirubin |
| Industrial aerosols, dust | Spirometry (lung function) |
| Noise | Audiometry |
| Work at height | Extended neurologist and ophthalmologist exam, vestibular tests |
| Night shifts, driving | Neurologist, vision assessment, closer attention to the ECG |
These are examples, not the full annex: the combination of hazards at a specific workplace is set by the employer based on the workplace assessment, and that combination dictates the final list.
Pre-employment vs periodic
- Pre-employment happens once — at hiring, before clearance is signed. Its purpose is to confirm your health allows the specific job.
- Periodic repeats on a schedule — usually every 1–2 years depending on the hazards; for workers under 21, annually.
The test sets are nearly identical, so the first one is only organisationally harder: bring the referral, passport, insurance numbers. The visit is recorded as an administrative examination — for example under code Z02.
Timing and who pays
Under the Labour Code both types of check-up are at the employer's expense — either directly under a contract with a clinic, or by reimbursing the worker. Asking an employee to pay for a mandatory check-up out of pocket without reimbursement is unlawful. Time spent on a periodic check-up is paid as working time.
Timing-wise, the check-up itself usually fits into 1–2 visits, and lab results are ready in 1–3 working days. A chest X-ray is valid for a year — if you had one recently, bring the report instead of repeating it.
How to prepare so nothing needs re-taking
- Glucose and cholesterol are drawn fasting — 8–12 hours without food; water is allowed. Full rules are in the guide on preparing for a blood test.
- The day before — no alcohol and no heavy training: both can raise liver enzymes and distort the picture.
- Urine: the morning midstream portion, after hygiene — otherwise the sample can show "findings" that are not real.
- Women should schedule the gynaecologist visit and smears outside menstruation.
- Bring recent results: a fresh chest X-ray or ECG may be accepted.
The short version
The Order 29n base is a CBC, urinalysis, glucose, cholesterol, ECG and a chest X-ray; women add a gynaecologist visit with smears. Everything beyond the base is driven by the hazards of the specific workplace, and the employer pays. The exact list follows the current order and your organisation's requirements. And once the forms are in hand, you can upload the results for decoding — the service explains every value before you see the occupational physician.
For informational purposes only
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical guidance.