Evaluation of Pre-Employment Medical Examination Practices in Manufacturing Companies in Anambra State

Pre-employment medical examinations (PEMEs) serve as a foundational occupational health intervention by enabling appropriate job placement and early detection of conditions that may be aggravated by specific work demands. This study evaluated the scope, quality, and utilization of PEMEs in manufacturing companies in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, and data were obtained from 40 human resource managers and occupational health officers from registered manufacturing firms in Onitsha, Awka, and Nnewi through a structured questionnaire and document review. Results showed that 72.5 percent of companies conducted some form of PEME, but only 37.5 percent used standardized protocols aligned with Nigeria's Factories Act provisions. The most consistently performed components were general physical examination (97.2%), blood pressure measurement (94.4%), and vision testing (83.3%), while job-specific hazard-based assessments were included in only 27.8 percent of PEMEs. Fitness-for-work decisions were informed by PEME findings in only 44.4 percent of companies. Documentation and record retention practices were substandard in 68.9 percent of firms. The study concludes that PEME quality and utilization in Anambra State manufacturing are inadequate for effective occupational health risk management and recommends the development of sector-specific PEME protocols, capacity building for company physicians, and enforcement of PEME documentation standards. Keywords: pre-employment examination, fitness-for-work, manufacturing companies, occupational medicine, Anambra State.