[IPAC-List] Medical testing to assess fitness to take physicalabiltiiy test

[Deonda Scott]

The City of Orlando chose the medical release route.

As I recall, Donna Denning gave an excellent presentation at an IPMAAC
conference several years ago on alternatives to firefighter physical
abilities testing that were far less expensive than traditional testing and
were very well validated. Its probably on the IPAC website but you'll have
to dig a bit because I don't remember the year.

Deonda Scott

On Fri, Jun 4, 2010 at 8:43 AM, Mudd, Jordan W. <
Jordan.Mudd at louisvilleky.gov> wrote:


> Why not require a medical waiver be supplied by the candidate before

> conducting the work sample test? The Kentucky Law Enforcement Council

> requires a medical release form to be completed before administering the

> state's law enforcement physical ability test. The medical waiver provides a

> description of the test and asks candidates to answer a short set of

> questions regarding their medical history (i.e., history of dizziness, high

> blood pressure, etc.). If the candidate's answers indicate possible medical

> problems, a physician must sign the form clearing the candidate to

> participate in testing. The actual forms (Form T-1 and Form T-1a) can be

> found at http://docjt.jus.state.ky.us/klec.html#klec_forms. If choosing to

> go this route, careful design of the waiver is a must.

>

> Mr. Jordan Mudd

> Louisville Metro Government

> Civil Service & Police Merit Boards

> T 502.574.3687  F 502.574.1041

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org [mailto:ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org]

> On Behalf Of Jim Kuthy

> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 5:21 PM

> To: ipac-list at ipacweb.org

> Subject: [IPAC-List] Medical testing to assess fitness to take

> physicalabiltiiy test

>

>  We were recently approached by a client who wants to administer a

> post-offer medical exam to determine whether job candidates are

> physically fit enough to safely take a work-sample physical ability

> test. (They are very worried about unfit candidates suffering medical

> consequences while taking the physical ability test).

>

>

>

> Part of the medical exam consists of a "step test" to measure cardiac

> fitness. One of the job tasks includes carrying 30-pound tool bags up

> several flights of steps (a maximum of five flights of steps), which

> would appear to require cardiac fitness. The work-sample physical

> ability test is proposed to include an exercise which requires job

> candidates to lift and carry a 30-pound weight for 100 feet to simulate

> the climbing of stairs. (This national employer tests at multiple

> locations around the country and does not wish to have to build sets of

> stairs to measure a person's ability to climb stairs while carrying the

> weighed tool bag, so instead wants to test candidates on a flat

> surface). However, they are fearful that unfit candidates may injure

> themselves while performing this physical ability test exercise, and

> thus want to measure cardiac fitness prior to testing.

>

>

>

> Can an employer measure cardiac fitness using a medically-based step

> test to determine whether a job candidate is sufficiently fit to perform

> a carrying task during pre-employment testing (which has been validated

> in accordance with the Uniform Guidelines) if the medically-based step

> test itself has not been validated in accordance with the Uniform

> Guidelines?

>

>

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

> Jim Kuthy, Ph.D.

>

> Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.

>

> Principal Consultant and Director of Product Development

>

> CritiCall Pre-Employment Testing Software

>

> 193 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 270, Folsom, CA 95630

>

> Voice: 916-294-4250 Fax: 916-294-4255

>

> Toll Free: 800-999-0438 extension 239

>

>

>

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-- 
Déonda Scott
Employment, Assessment & Development Manager
City of Orlando
400 S. Orange Ave.
Orlando, Florida   32802-4990
Phone: (407)246-2061 Fax: (407)246-2019

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