Job-Specific Fitness Evaluations Protect Workers, Employers
Evaluating a worker’s fitness for duty often requires more than a basic pre-placement examination. In addition to pre-employment screenings, employers, in collaboration with a qualified occu pational health professional, should establish and validate occupational fitness standards that reflect continuous job demands.
“The physical abilities of workers will naturally change over time,” explains Jason Toth, M.D., medical director of the ProvidenceOccupationalHealthCenter. “In order to evaluate the ability of employees to continue to perform job-related tasks, employers should establish policies providing for job-specific annual screenings for all relevant employees. Otherwise, job-related injuries may occur.”
If a job requires strength, endurance and dexterity, employers should determine exactly how those things can be evaluated, and develop an examination to screen for those requirements. Leading factors in evaluating physical demands include intensity, continuous duration and frequency of the required task. The evaluation should be related to the aerobic capacities of the active muscles. Fatigue, for example, may be quantified by evaluating the timing of the effort and recovery times for specific muscle groups during a task.
In developing job-specific fitness standards, employers should include a detailed assessment of repetitive manual capabilities for a specific job; an evaluation of the ability to withstand static loading of the back and other muscle groups in the working position; and tolerance of heat and humidity in the work environment, recommends Dr. Toth.
“Evaluating the fitness of an employee is an important first step in preventing job-related injuries, but employers must also be willing to take a stand and not simply ‘pass’ workers at high risk for injury,” Dr. Toth adds. “If an employee who has been performing the same job for a year or more fails the fitness evaluation, employers need to be prepared to handle the situation.”
Possible solutions, Dr. Toth notes, include rehabilitation, job modification or retraining. In the long run, he says, ensuring that employees have the physical ability to perform job-related tasks protects the health of both the workers and the company.
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Employment Screening, Background Checks Provide Critical Information for Employers, but Patient Privacy is Paramount
An estimated 30 to 40 percent of all job applications and resumes include some false or inflated facts. That trend, coupled with risk management concerns and rising workers’ compensation costs, have resulted in more frequent use of background checks to supplement drug screens and pre-placement physicals for prospective and current workers. However, recent changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) warrant critical review of policies and practices involving background checks, workplace investigations and requests for employee medical information. For example—
- The FACT Act requires employers requesting medical information about an applicant or employee to obtain a specific written consent describing in "clear and conspicuous language" how the information will be used. As a result, employers should determine whether the forms used or supplied by a “consumer reporting agency” comply with FCRA requirements, specifically when seeking covered medical information. In some cases, a separate Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization may be required. Drug testing or medical examination reports prepared by health care providers and laboratories, however, are generally not considered consumer reports because they fall within a "transactions and experiences" exception.
- Employers seeking information about an applicant’s workers’ compensation claims history must conduct the search post-offer. The history will report the last five events and include case numbers, locations, case status, dates of injury, body parts injured, type of injury, and all third party information including lien claimants. Failing to report past claims on an employment application is grounds for revoking a conditional job offer or terminating a recent hire. Experts recommend these searches when physical activity, such as lifting, is a job requirement.
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Obesity: An Epidemic of Costly Proportions
Nearly two out of every three Americans aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Obesity increases the risk of serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer and contributes to U.S. medical expenditures in excess of $92 billion annually (based on 2002 dollars).
Though obesity may appear to be an individual problem, evidence suggests that the obesity epidemic weighs down business operations and profitability. According to the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity, every year obesity causes—
- 39 million lost days of work
- 239 million restricted-activity days
- 90 million bed days
- 63 million physician visits
According to a survey of 84 large U.S. employers conducted by the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), fitness programs and other health promotion activities result in—
- Increased employee morale, in more than half (56 percent) of companies
- Reduced health care costs, in 27 percent of companies
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Turning Weight-Loss Opportunities into Business Opportunities
An obesity study commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) found that only two percent of the working population claims to have participated in an employer-sponsored weight management program. However, of those who have participated, nearly 50 percent reached and maintained their weight loss goals. Factors most frequently leading to successful weight loss include—
- On-site visits by trained health and wellness professionals (38 percent)
- Gym memberships (23 percent)
- Educational opportunities, such as a health series or seminars (16 percent)
- Diets with outlined goals (14 percent)
- On-site exercise classes (13 percent)
Based on the survey findings, the AAOHN offers the following guidelines to help companies develop and implement workplace weight management programs—
Involve management. Management should promote the program at meetings and demonstrate interest in successful outcomes.
Enlist employees. Establish a committee with representation from a diverse group of individuals (e.g., fit employees, overweight employees and obese employees) to contribute to the development of a successful program.
Advertise. Promote the programs as often as possible. Visibility and frequent communication help ensure consistent participation.
Use professionals. Retain a trained health and wellness professional or program to help implement and lead the program. This lends credibility and an assurance of safe participation.
Emphasize teamwork. Encourage employees to collectively participate and offer overall encouragement and support.
Share successes. Seeing results motivates employees. Demonstrating that the program maintains excitement and high participation levels among employees and management.
For professional assistance in promoting safe, effective weight loss among your employees, including Smarter Weigh, Providence Boot Camp, nutrition counseling, and, for severe obesity, bariatric surgery, contact the Providence Health Resource Center at 1-888-HEALING (1-888-432-5464).
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Workplace Perspectives~
Rankings Reveal Construction, Mining Have Highest Percentage of ProblemDrinkers
According to a recently released ranking of industry-based problem drinking patterns, construction and mining have the highest percentage of problem drinkers, with nearly one in seven workers in these fields having a serious alcohol problem. The rankings, published by GeorgeWashingtonUniversityMedicalCenter, also reveal that government agencies and professional services, such as law, medicine and architecture, have much smaller percentages of problem drinkers in their workforces. Problem drinking is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as having an alcohol dependence disorder or alcohol abuse disorder.
Proposed SAFE Act to Increase Jail Time for Employers
If enacted, the Safety Advancement for Employees (SAFE) Act of 2004 will increase criminal penalties for the worst workplace safety offenders, with the maximum jail sentence for willful violations that result in a worker's death increasing from six to 18 months. SAFE, however, includes a third-party consultation provision that would make certified safety and health professionals available to assist employers. Employers who take advantage of the program and comply with safety laws would be awarded a certificate of compliance that would exempt them from civil penalties for a one-year period. In addition, the bill would require that sample material safety data sheets be posted on OSHA’s website for the most hazardous chemicals.
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News from OSHA
Employers with High Injury Rates Urged to Remove Hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently urged nearly 14,000 workplaces with high occupational injury and illness rates to take action to remove hazards causing the high rates. These employers reported 6.5 or more injuries or illnesses for every 100 full-time workers. These injuries or illnesses result in days away from work, restricted work or job transfer (DART). The national average is 2.6. OSHA encouraged the targeted employers to hire an outside safety and health consultant, discuss the problem with their insurance carrier, or contact the workers' compensation agency in their state for advice.
To request a workplace assessment from the ProvidenceOccupationalHealthCenter, call (818) 953-4408.
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Proposed FY2006 OSHA Budget Emphasizes Enforcement, Compliance Assistance
OSHA’s proposed FY2006 budget will fund 37,700 workplace inspections, expanded compliance assistance programs, and enhanced performance measurement capabilities. The agency will announce the list of workplaces targeted for inspection later in the year. The proposed $467 million budget will enable OSHA to implement “strong, fair and effective enforcement,” according to Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Jonathan L. Snare. The proposed budget eliminates the agency's Susan Harwood Training Grants Program, which supports the development of training materials and safety programs for Hispanic and other non-English-speaking workers and employers in small businesses, and workers employed in high hazard industries.
For assistance in developing health and safety programs for workers in a variety of occupations and industries, contact the ProvidenceOccupationalHealthCenterat (818) 953-4408.
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