Physical Ability Testing

A guide to implementing legally compliant physical ability testing (PAT) 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 PAT program. Explaining the perspectives of the employer, the authors detail the systematic steps in developing and administering legally valid, job-specific PATs and providing proper interactive accommodation reviews for new hires and incumbent employees.

The book covers testing policies and procedures that address methods to avoid discrimination and minimize disparate impact on protected classes such as individuals with disabilities, older adults, women (including those who are pregnant), and individuals affected by medical or behavioral health conditions such as substance use disorders or recent surgeries. 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 PAT program
• Comprehensive explorations of PAT 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

This book is perfect for human resource professionals, occupational physicians and nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, safety professionals, industrial hygienists, ergonomists, human factors specialists, and risk managers.

Richard W. Bunch, PT, PhD, CBES is a retired physical therapist and ergonomic specialist with a PhD in Human Neuroanatomy. He brings over 45 years of experience in physical ability testing, functional capacity evaluation, and ergonomics. He has held faculty appointments at LSU Medical Center and Tulane University School of Public Health, founded WorkSaver Employee Testing Systems, and developed the Certified Behavioral-Based Ergonomics Specialist (CBES) program.

Trevor D. Bardarson, PT, OCS, CBES is a Board Certified Orthopedic Physical Therapy Specialist, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Spine Specialist, Certified Physical Ability/Functional Capacity Evaluator, and an Ergonomic Specialist with over 30 years of experience. He is the Owner/President of WorkSaver Employee Testing Systems LLC.

Douglas A. Swift, MD, MSPH, FACOEM is a Board-Certified Occupational Medicine Physician. He has over 40 years’ experience in clinical occupational medicine and serves as an Associate Clinical Professor at Tulane University School of Public Health.

Horace A. Thompson III, JD is a labor attorney with over 40 years of courtroom experience as a lawyer and a judge.