Fitness to Work Assessments are performed to measure the full extent of disability and to assess whether a worker is motivated and safely able to perform the essential job functions. It is an important screening tool for variables which could affect the productivity of the organization in the future.

 

For certain safety sensitive positions like fire fighters, commercial drivers, and airplane pilots, medical standards are available for fitness to work determination. The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) has set standards for drivers in Canada to help physicians determining whether their patients are fit to drive a motor vehicle safely. Guidelines are available for determination of fitness to wear a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) in Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) environment. The physician determining fitness to work must have adequate information about the physical and psychological demands of the job. Formal training in Occupational and Environmental Medicine is preferred for the assessing physician because any inaccurate decision may significantly affect the employee, employer, and community.

 

Consider the example of spirometry, which is mandatory for respiratory protection and respirator use programs in the industry. Most providers offer spirometry testing but use General Practitioners to interpret the spirograms. Evidence shows that a significant number of spirometry recordings are invalid, and yet interpreted inaccurately. This type of practice may increase an employer’s liability for a worker who is actually normal but marked abnormal. On the contrary, an employer’s risk for future liability will also increase if an abnormal worker has been marked normal by an untrained physician and has been allowed to work without any intervention.  Is it a fair return of the money you have spent?

 

All fitness to work assessment assessments are focused to determine the ability of the worker to perform the essential job functions safely. There is no universal fitness to work. Many untrained physicians inaccurately use National Occupational Classification and give vague opinions on fitness to work without knowing the physical and psychological demands of the job.  It is important that you engage Occupational and Environmental Medicine Specialist at IOMC for fitness to work assessments in order to avoid future liabilities.

 

IOMC offers various types of fitness to work assessments for your employees by Occupational and Environmental Medicine Specialists. They will make sure that the worker is mentally, physically, and emotionally able to perform the essential job functions safely.

• Fitness to Work
• Pre-placement/Post-offer
• Return to Work
• Annual Surveillance
• Exit Evaluation
• Fitness to Wear a Respirator
• Fitness for Commercial and Bus Drivers
• Shift Work
• Overseas Travelling

 

Please contact IOMC for more information and to arrange any of the above services.