Introducing Michaela Škerková, consultant of the EUC PLS Professional Supervision Department (2)

“The Department of Professional Supervision (OOD) is a relatively small department. I don't think this is a bad thing at all, though – at least we’re a bit closer to each other here, even though we each take care of a different region in the Czech Republic. I’m in charge of the Moravian-Silesian region, which is one of the largest and has its undeniable specific features. They don’t call this a ‘peculiar’ region for nothing. Sometimes it’s an advantage to know a little Polish; I’ve already run a supervision half in Polish,” Michaela explains.

After graduating with a master’s degree in Public Health, Michaela accepted an offer to conduct a follow-up doctoral study to deepen her knowledge of epidemiology. Now Michaela is finishing her doctorate and lecturing at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Protection of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ostrava to future hygienists who may become her colleagues in the future. As a researcher, she tries to motivate young people and help them identify the goal they want to achieve without being intimidated by stereotypes. One example is the low proportion of women in science, which is, very unfortunately, now only around 25%.

“I consider my greatest scientific achievement to having been awarded a grant for the project ‘Quality of life improvement by early detection of hearing loss using high-frequency audiometry’ and the publication of two scientific publications in an impacted foreign journal. The grant is aimed at capturing hearing loss using high-frequency audiometry. In the future, the team and I would like to focus on setting standards for hearing loss at high frequencies, since hearing loss for workers at risk of noise will affect these frequencies first. Speech frequencies are affected only later. Hearing loss is an invisible stigmatizing disease that prevents people from leading a quality life. This is where I find the answer to why I actually went to study Public Health. I have always known that prevention is key and should be a priority. Epidemiology appealed to me because it addresses the cause, not the effect,” explains Michaela Škerková. During 2021, Michaela actively participated in three scientific conferences with contributions on high-frequency audiometry and plans to attend the next one in 2022 where she will present the final results of the grant project. The year 2022 will certainly be a big challenge for her. 

“When it’s all just too much, I try to relax through sports or travel. I worked as a coach for H.E.A.T. and TRX, but now I’m on the opposite side of the barricade and I go to practice more recreationally. In recent years, I’ve discovered the beauty and tranquility of the mountains. When I have a bit of time, I try to get out of town. Maybe it’s because I’m from a small village. I’m lucky to have both the Beskydy and the Tatras close by. My other passion is traveling. I hope that things will calm down soon and I’ll be able to head out to places that cost 5 euros for a plane ticket. That was probably my best purchase. My dream is still to travel to Asia; I used to want to cross the Trans-Siberian Highway, but times are changing and so are my priorities,” explains Michaela Škerková on how she spends her free time.

The diverse work of a Professional Supervision Department consultant

Consultants at the Professional Supervision Department, where Michaela works, supervise occupational health services at clients’ workplaces. The Professional Supervision Department can be divided into 2 parts according to the nature of clients: supervisions are performed at “non-production” clients (employers who have jobs classified in the first or second, i.e. “non-risk” category), as well as at production clients (jobs classified as risky). The department consists of a manager who oversees the department, an assistant who acts as the right hand of the whole team, and about 13 consultants. Clients’ workplaces are spread throughout the entire Czech Republic, which is why this team does not sit together in a single office like classic company teams do. In practically every region, there is at least one consultant who works with their own facilities and who is responsible for their given region. Each client has their own key consultant whom they can turn to at any time with a question in the field of occupational health services.

As part of the supervision process, the employer’s documentation is usually the first to be checked. The most important issue is whether the employer has developed a categorization of work and whether employees are familiar with it. Making sure that the client performs preventive medical examinations and monitors their periods is also essential. Other basic information about the client is also ascertained, such as what their operations focus on and the number of employees, or whether the employer utilizes a shift regime. Once that’s covered, then the workplace itself is physically inspected, especially noting the lighting and ventilation at the workplace, the ergonomics during work, the employees’ facilities, and even the first aid kit. A record is made of the performed supervision that describes the aforementioned elements, then the client receives a recommendation for eliminating defects in the workplace that are not in accordance with applicable legislation. Professional Supervision Departments can also offer first aid training. For more extensive on-demand training, a resuscitation aid (automated external defibrillator or resuscitation manikin) is used to demonstrate. Consulting activities are available, for example, when updating the documentation of job categorization, when modifying jobs, or when handling heavy loads.