Pre-employment screening (PES) is a process whereby testing and screening is conducted on job applicants to determine their suitability and compatibility for a role. It’s important to remember that pre-employment screening is a tool to gather information so that an informed recruitment decision can be made. It cannot be used to discriminate against an individual.

What’s involved?

• A Pre-Assessment questionnaire is completed by the candidate online to obtain relevant medical and employment history, including signed acceptance of terms & conditions, relevant waivers and informed consent.

• A comprehensive assessment of physical, psychological and medical fitness is performed by a qualified health professional in a clinical environment separate from the employer’s workplace.

• The employer is provided with a summary report and recommendation regarding each candidate’s suitability for the proposed role.

A typical PES assessment includes:

• Candidate interview and review of questionnaire responses.

• Physical examination ie. postural assessment, joint range of motion, muscle strength and special orthopaedic tests to screen for pre-existing injury.

• Functional tests designed to approximate the manual handling or physical demands of a role.

• Cardiovascular fitness (ie. step test, blood pressure, BMI)

• Urinalysis to screen for illicit substance use.

Optional components

• Audiometry to assess a candidate’s baseline hearing, recommended for roles that may involve exposure to noise and loud working environments.

• Vision testing to assess a candidate’s basic eye function and test for colour blindness

• Spirometry to assess a candidate’s baseline lung function, recommended for roles that may involve exposure to dust or other inhalable substances.

• Alcohol breath testing to screen for recent alcohol consumption.

• Psychometric testing to help match the candidate to the cognitive and psychological requirements of a role.

• Rapid antigen testing to screen for COVID-19.

How is a PES program designed?

Pre-employment screening programs work best when they’re designed specifically for the role(s) you’re recruiting for. In order to do this, we’ll need as much information about the physical and cognitive requirements of the role(s) in question.

Job Task Analysis may be required if a role has specific requirements that are not described in detail in your current position descriptions or SOPs.

A workstation ergonomic assessment is an assessment of an individual at their computer workstation, designed to optimise the layout and positioning of items within the workspace to suit the individual's physical dimensions and work tasks. The aim is to prevent injury, reduce discomfort, pain and fatigue related to prolonged sitting and repetitive computer-based tasks by facilitating healthy posture and work habits.

Having an AHO Onsite Injury Prevention Specialist at your workplace gives you access to expert workstation ergonomic assessments, whenever you require this service.

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Understanding a worker’s functional capacity, relative to the physical and cognitive demands of their role, is the key to ensuring a safe and sustainable return-to-work after injury or surgery. A Fit For Duty Assessment (FFD) provides this information for the employer via a thorough examination of the worker by a specialist assessor who understands the worker’s job tasks and environment.

An FFD typically includes the following items:

• Joint range of motion (ROM)

• Muscle tests

• Palpation of joints and soft tissue

• Job-specific manual handling technique and capacity

• Cardiovascular fitness

• Special orthopaedic tests

• Neurological examination

Employers are provided with a detailed report outlining key findings and recommendations regarding the worker’s capacity to perform their pre-injury role.

A risk assessment is the process by which an organisation can proactively identify and quantify potential risks associated with a work task or the environment in which a task is performed.

A risk matrix is used to determine the relative risk rating of a particular task. This rating then enables an organisation to plan and implement the most appropriate risk mitigation response.

We provide employers with a detailed report, including photographs of key findings and recommendations for risk mitigation strategies.

Recruiting the right candidate or coordinating the safe return to work of an injured employee can be difficult if the inherent requirements of a person’s role are not clearly defined.

Job Task Analysis (JTA) involves a comprehensive examination and breakdown of the demands specific to a particular task within a workplace. JTA’s are conducted by experienced Occupational Health Consultants, with extensive knowledge of workplace environments, skilled in observation of movement.

A Job Task Analysis helps businesses identify the inherent requirements of a role and can be used in the development of pre-employment screening programs and return-to-work planning.

Item description

A Job Dictionary is an amalgamation of individual Job Task Analyses to form one document. A Job Dictionary is a valuable tool that ensures internal and external stakeholders are fully informed of the specific job tasks and inherent requirements of each role undertaken within an organisation.

A workplace job dictionary details the physical, cognitive and behavioural demands of each job task performed along with the various environmental factors that impact the given task or role.

Many organisations utilise ‘toolbox’ meetings to deliver key health & safety messaging to workgroups. Our consultants can draw on their experience working onsite with your team to assist in the development and delivery of toolbox training programs that target the most relevant issues facing particular work groups and your organisation as a whole.

As healthcare practitioners, our clinicians are qualified to perform onsite rapid antigen testing, should your workplace be considering implementing an onsite testing program.

Our clinicians are experienced in the protocols and procedures for drug and alcohol testing via urinalysis and alcohol breath testing. This type of testing is often included in pre-employment screening programs.

Ergonomic assessments aren't only for office workers. Those who operate vehicles in the course of their work also benefit from optimising the ergonomics of their workspace, whether it be a car, truck, van, crane, bike or boat. Our clinicians can assess the seating and cabin of any work vehicle and set it up ergonomically for the individual worker.