Agility and Fitness Job Testing

Can you really do something to test post-offer candidates for their agility and fitness for your position? You bet and through Taylor-Made Diagnostics, you can do it the right way, meeting your regulatory guides including ADA .

TMD's program partners with Southeastern Physical Therapy as part of our pre-employment testing protocol. The data we collect is part of the pre-employment/post-offer process.

What is tested?

Testing typically involves three components.

*  The musculoskeletal evaluation involves testing of major joints, spine, neck and back as well as knee and ankle joints for crepitation and ligament laxity.

*  The functional movement testing involves repetitive overhead reaching, squatting, and bending to determine ROM, make notations of painful movement patterns, completion of repetitions and quality of movements.

*   The job specific testing involves the specific job functions of the position.

Any job types that have historical incidents or injuries that have resulted in lost days off are often tested. Employers naturally think of jobs that “require heavy lifting”. While that is of concern to be tested, it is the repetitive nature of many jobs that tend to lead to weakness and a breakdown in the body for a possible injury. Consider for any particular job how many times the person must climb, bend, stoop, squat, kneel, and crawl. Do they have to hold a position while doing a task?

These are the types of jobs that place repetitive stress on the joints of the body which should be tested BEFORE the job is started.

The results of the tests will note abnormal findings and may recommend further follow up with our TMD Medical Director, even if all the tests are passed. For example moderate to extreme crepitis (grinding) of the knee can be indicative of pre-existing arthritis. If identified during the agility test, we may X-ray this joint and document the pre-existing status. If a problem develops in the knees, it may not be a worker's compensation issue if there is evidence that the condition existed before employment started. Other examples include ligament laxity, elevated resting or working heart rates, abnormal movement patterns in a particular area.

If you would like to set an appointment to learn more about the program, please call Stella McClain, 223-7934.