We Offer Pre-Employment Physical Exams

Today, many companies require potential employees to undergo pre-employment physical exams. Also referred to as a post-offer physical exam. It is meant to determine the fitness of a prospective employee to productively take on their roles in the company prior to completing the final job offer. Physical exams are especially crucial for jobs that have higher than average physical and mental demands.

Exams are important in ensuring that the workplace is safe for everyone. Any risk can be assessed and dealt with early enough to prevent injury. Exams provide proper documentation, many companies have had to deal with workplace accidents and resulting lawsuits because of failing to conduct proper physical exams.

What Does a Pre-employment Physical Exam Involve?

Physical exams are customized to fit the type of job, the individual to be tested, and employer requirements. This means that different employees within your organization will receive varying exams. For example, the exam for an individual about to be employed in a health facility involves TB (tuberculosis) and immunizations testing. These are tests not found in most other types of jobs.

There are however some general aspects that are consistent in most employment physicals for recruits. Here are some of them.

1. General Physical Checkup

One of the very first things to be checked is the general medical state of the patient. Vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, blood pulse and weight. These signs are important indicators of a person’s general health.

Visual and auditory tests are also common in many exams. The medical professional will check your sight. If you use contacts or glasses, tests are done to ensure that you can still see clearly. Tests can help to rule out colorblindness in potential employees. Visual tests are important for jobs such as driving and flying. Any visual problems such as color blindness can lead to tragedy.

Auditory tests check for the quality of hearing. At this point, any developing hearing damage can be noted in advance.

Another important part of a general physical exam is a respiratory check. The doctor looks at lung capacity. Important for jobs where there is a lot of physical stress or where breathing is restricted by things like masks.

A heart checkup is also important. If a problem is suspected, more tests may be recommended to ascertain what the issue is. Heart tests are crucial for physically demanding jobs where the heart will be under increased physical stress.

During a general exam, the doctor will ask a number of questions regarding medical drug usage, medical history, existing symptoms and behavioral patterns.

2. Drug Testing

Drug testing has for years, been an essential part of employment, with some companies considering it completely different from a physical exam. Drug testing is not only done for potential employees, but also for existing employees.

A drug test reveals whether an individual is a user of alcohol or any other drugs. This is extremely important for jobs where complete focus and alertness are extremely important for safety purposes.

There are a number of ways that a drug test can be done. The most commonly used involves using urine as a sample. Now however, companies are realizing that it has become too easy for employees to beat a urine test. Blood tests are also used. Another testing method involves using a hair sample. This method is highly accurate, minimally invasive and reveals drug use going back several months. Our trained staff can make recommendations for your business.

3. Physical Ability Test

For jobs involving a lot of demanding physical work, it is important to determine whether a potential employee can handle the work. This is where a physical ability test comes in. It measures things like grip strength, joint movement, push and pull strength and dynamic lifting.

4. Stress Handling Test

Though a given job may not demand much physically, it can exert a lot of mental stress on employees. Employers need to know whether new recruits can handle the stress that comes with the job and still perform productively while under stress.

The above are not the only tests that can be administered. An employer may request for special tests to be done depending on the type of employment. Our doctors can help you select appropriate tests for your job requirements.

A quality testing program will help your company hire the right people, put in place the appropriate safety measures and ensure that work productivity remains high among employees.