Physical Demands Analysis (PDA)

A Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) is a document that outlines all the essential job tasks, and the physical demand requirements, to perform a specific job position. All PDAs and evaluation protocols are completed by a professionally regulated clinician (physiotherapist, occupational therapist or kinesiologist) skilled in injury prevention, job analysis, and return to work planning.

What Does It Include?

Physical demands analysis examples include the following:

• An overall description of the job position (i.e. objectives/responsibilities, typical shift length/cycle, essential and non-essential workers, breaks etc.)
• A breakdown of each physical job task including manual handling and positional requirements
• Information about the equipment and/or tools required when performing job duties
• The frequency and duration of each specific job task
• Objective measurements of weights, distances, heights, and forces associated with each job task
• A customized, and easy to read physical demands analysis checklist of all physical demands of the job
• Digital images of specific job tasks and equipment/tools used
• A description of the jobs environmental demands and personal protective equipment

Who Completes The PDA? 

• The analysis is always completed by a qualified health care evaluator (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or kinesiologist) who is skilled in functional movement and physical demands analysis training
• The evaluator will complete a physical demand analysis form that goes through an analysis of the job by discussing the tasks with a representative familiar with the job, observing the job in action, and gathering objective measurements
• The PDA is not finalized until it is verified by the employer representative

What Are The Benefits Of A PDA?

• It is customized to specific job positions and reflects the needs of your business
• It sets a benchmark to understand the level of physical requirement needed to complete the job effectively and reduce the risk of injury
• It is used for effectively orienting new employees to a position
• If there is an injured worker, it can minimize the time away from work by providing medical/insurance experts information on job demands, and possibly modified duties
• It provides an opportunity to analyze a position, identify risk factors and determine if job tasks, or workplace environment modifications, are necessary
• It can be used to develop a post-offer employment fitness test to confirm if a worker is physically capable of completing the job safely

CannAmm offers physical demands analysis across Canada.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you, or to arrange for a physical demands job analysis.