Physical Ability Testing

A guide to implementing legally compliant programs that prevent injuries, optimize performance, and ensure reasonable accommodations

In Physical Ability Testing: A Guide to Safe Job Placement, Accommodation, and Legal Compliance, a team of distinguished medical professionals delivers an expert discussion of the fundamentals of creating a Physical Ability Testing program. Explaining the perspectives of the employer, the healthcare test provider, and the legal system, the authors detail the systematic steps in conducting an interactive accommodation review for new hires and incumbent employees.

The book covers testing policies and procedures that address methods to avoid disability discrimination and disparate impact related to age, gender, and clinical conditions, including pregnancy, drug addiction, surgery, and others. It also provides critical information on defending test failure determinations based on the "direct threat" and "undue hardship" defenses.

Readers will find:

- A thorough introduction to the validation process best suited for a defensible Physical Abilities Testing program
- Comprehensive explorations of Physical Ability Testing programs in a variety of industries
- Practical discussions of administering PATs, legal cases covering them, and published scientific literature related to work physiology
- Complete treatments of the validation processes used in ensuring PAT programs remain legally defensible

Perfect for safety professionals and occupational physicians and nurses, Physical Ability Testing will also benefit industrial hygienists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, ergonomics and human factors professionals, risk managers, and human resource managers.