Health Canada

Info Source

Sources of Federal
Employee Information
2005-2006

Health Canada
Chapter 72

Table of Contents

Central Personal Information Banks

Health Unit Files
Description: This bank contains some or all of the following types of information: emergency treatment, return to work visits, examinations, counselling, troubled employee counselling, referral and audiogram reports. Persons seeking access to this bank must supply their full name, date of birth and location of the record sought.
Class of Individuals: Federal public servants.
Purpose: The purpose of this bank is to maintain records of all health unit consultations including emergency treatment, return to work visits, counselling and referrals, examinations and troubled employee referrals. The information is also used to perform occupational health monitoring.
Consistent Uses: Information may be used internally for program management purposes and for purposes of research, planning, evaluation, statistics and for internal audit purposes. Information also related to HWC PCE 701.
Retention and Disposal Standards: Retained for 30 years after last activity on file and then destroyed. Files which do not contain any occupational exposures, pre-placement, periodic, and/or fitness to work medical assessments are retained for 10 years and then destroyed.
RDA Number: 99/022
Related PR#: HCan HF14
TBS Registration: 005077
Bank Number: HCan PCE 703

Occupational Health Medical Records
Description: This bank contains some or all of the following types of information: medical, psychiatric, psychological and consultant's reports, findings and assessments, laboratory tests and reports, immunization records, x-ray reports and films, other specialized diagnostic procedure reports, and treatment and counselling reports. Workplace hazards and overexposure records may also be recorded. Persons seeking access to this information must supply their full name, date of birth and location of the record sought.
Class of Individuals: Federal public servants, former public servants, prospective public servants, and in some locations may include employees of federally regulated industries who have contracted with Workplace Health and Public Safety Programme.
Purpose: The purpose of this bank is to maintain occupational health records for federal public servants and prospective public servants including surveillance and maintenance of occupational and environmental health factors, pre-employment, periodic medical, mental health assessments, and counselling. The information is used to support fitness to work assessments, medical, mental health, and employment and pension decisions/entitlements.
Consistent Uses: Information may be used internally for program management purposes and for purposes of research, planning, evaluation, statistics and for internal audit purposes. Interpretations of evaluations may be shared, with consent, with other federal departments.
Retention and Disposal Standards: Retained for 30 years after last activity on file and then destroyed. Files which do not contain any occupational exposures, pre-placement, periodic, immunization records, and/or fitness to work medical assessments are retained for 10 years and then destroyed.
RDA Number: 99/022
Related PR#: HCan HF14
TBS Registration: 005087
Bank Number: HCan PCE 701

Public Service Health Medical Advisory Committee
Description: This bank contains some or all of the following types of information: applications, medical reports, medical examination findings, medical and psychological assessments, laboratory reports or X-rays. Persons seeking access to this information bank must supply their full name, date of birth and case file number.
Class of Individuals: Federal public servants.
Purpose: The purpose of this bank is to maintain a record of decisions/recommendations on contentious medical cases assessed by the Public Service Health Medical Advisory Committee.
Consistent Uses: Information may be used internally for program management purposes and for purposes of research, planning, evaluation, statistics and for internal audit purposes. Information in the bank is also used in response to legal actions and complaints to the Canadian Human Rights Commission about the outcomes of occupational health medical assessments and the response of the employing departments to accommodate a specific case. Information also related to HWC PCE 701.
Retention and Disposal Standards: Retained for 30 years after last activity on file and then destroyed. Files which do not contain any occupational exposures, pre-placement, periodic, and/or fitness to work medical assessments are retained for 10 years and then destroyed.
RDA Number: 99/022
Related PR#: HCan HF14
TBS Registration: 005086
Bank Number: HCan PCE 702

Particular Personal Information Banks

Departmental Complaints File (Employees)
Description: Information in this bank includes Canadian Human Rights Act complaints and anti-discrimination complaints forwarded to the Department of National Health and Welfare.
Class of Individuals: Employees and ex-employees who have registered a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission or Public Service Commission.
Purpose: Records in the bank apply to all employees of the Department who have filed formal complaints and are used to seek resolution or defence or to decide on a course of action.
Consistent Uses: The use is consistent with the purpose indicated in part 5.
Retention and Disposal Standards: The files are kept for two years after the last use for an administrative purpose and are then destroyed.
RDA Number: 98/005
Related PR#: HCan PRN 921
TBS Registration: 002748
Bank Number: HCan PPE 801

Managerial and Confidential Exclusions Records
Description: Information in the bank pertains to employees excluded from collective bargaining, and includes date of exclusion, exclusion code, level, group, branch and division.
Class of Individuals: Records in the bank apply to HWC employees excluded from collective bargaining for managerial or confidential reasons.
Purpose: The purpose of this information bank is to record data on employees excluded from collective bargaining.
Consistent Uses: The use is consistent with the purpose indicated in part 5.
Retention and Disposal Standards: The records are retained for 2 years after the information has been superseded or becomes obsolete and are then destroyed.
RDA Number: 98/005
Related PR#: HCan PRN 926
TBS Registration: 002900
Bank Number: HCan PPE 802

Person-Year Accounting and Control System (PYAC)
Description: This bank contains person-year utilization information by individual. The social insurance number is used to verify the correct identity of individuals, and to link the information in this bank with that from the Departmental Personnel Information System.
Class of Individuals: The information relates to employees of the Department.
Purpose: The purpose of this bank is to record person-year utilization information, which is used for internal management information purposes and in the annual reporting to Treasury Board. Reporting on person-year utilization is a financial responsibility.
Consistent Uses: Use of this bank is consistent with the purpose specified in section 5.
Retention and Disposal Standards: The records are retained for six years and are then destroyed.
RDA Number: 99/004
Related PR#: HCan PRN 914
TBS Registration: 002749
Bank Number: HCan PPE 804

Standard Personal Information Banks

Please see the INTRODUCTION to this publication for the definition of Standard Banks and a description of their contents.