Pre-Work Screens
Pre-Work Screens
Return to work, return to health.
Pre-work Screens (PWS) are functional tests used to determine if an individual’s physical abilities match the physical requirements of a specific job. These tests occur prior to a worker being appointed in a specific position.  The tests done in a PWS are based on the results of a Functional Job Analysis (FJA), to ensure job relatedness.   We have therapists certified in WorkWell’s Functional Job Analysis and Pre-Work Screening who perform these.

“By performing pre-work screens we can ensure that all employees perfectly fit the position they are placed in.”
– Elzanné Schipper, Occupational Therapist

PWS Program

PWS is an aspect of injury prevention in the workplace. Hiring workers who have the physical abilities to perform a job from the start will go a long way to reduce the number of individuals who could be injured due to a lack thereof. PWS should test potential workers on the physical components of the job, to see if they are capable of performing these functions safely.

Performing PWS allows for:

  • Employers to be provided with a mechanism to make hiring decisions in a legal and non-discriminatory way.
  • Employers to be provided with workers that have the abilities to safely perform the work required in a specific job, therefore reducing the incidence and severity of work related injuries and therefore saving the employer money.
  • Physicians to be provided information on the physical requirements of a job, for return to work decisions or return to work testing to a specific job.
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FUNCTIONAL JOB ANALYSIS

Functional Job Analysis is a systematic method of identifying and describing the functional and physical aspects of work.  It involves analysis of the work, the worker and the worksite.  The human element, the tasks performed, and the physical structure in which work is performed all play an integral part in forming a work function.  The FJA process includes preparation, data collection and validation, to ensure that an accurate and reliable FJA is obtained.  From this FJA, workers can then be tested and matched to the specific work demands in a PWS.