ARE YOUR JOB CANDIDATES FUNCTIONALLY AND MEDICALLY SUITED TO PERFORM THE JOB YOU ARE HIRING THEM FOR?
MOH Can Identify Underlying Medical Conditions
Minnesota Occupational Health conducts pre-placement (sometimes referred to as Post-offer) exams in order to determine a candidate’s fitness to safely perform the job for which they are being hired. While some jobs require no medical or functional examination, many positions require various evaluations to ensure the health and safety of those workers once on the job. At MOH, our goal is not to exclude candidates but to identify pre-existing conditions in order to ensure that the candidate is aware of them and that they are taking the appropriate steps to manage any conditions they may have. We understand that for many people, annual physical exams are not something they can or will seek out on their own.
Pre-placement exams include vital signs and a review of someone’s medical history including a discussion about the effect that prescription medications could have while performing their job. MOH Providers often identify underlying or untreated conditions including diabetes and hypertension, both of which could result in a health and safety issue if not managed properly.
Baseline medical evaluations may be very specialized such as evaluating the ability for someone to safely wear a respirator or prior exposures to silica, asbestos or a multitude of previous chemical or heavy metal (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, etc.) exposures.
If a condition is identified that the candidate is not aware of or is not managing, MOH providers will discuss the implications with the candidate. When necessary, a candidate will be referred to their primary care provider for further evaluation.
MOH offers physical examinations that can identify underlying medical conditions that could impact a worker’s health and safety. If a condition is identified, MOH providers will refer workers to their primary care provider.
Key elements of most pre-placement exams include:
- Completion of a medical history
- Check of vital signs (heart, breathing, blood pressure)
- Routine urinalysis to check acidity (PH), protein levels; detect any sugars, blood or evidence of infection; etc. (Please note: This is not a drug test)
- Basic vision testing
- Basic hearing testing
- Physical examination covering ears, eyes, nose, throat, visible scarring and, if appropriate, a hernia check
- Review of medical history, medications and exam findings
Some jobs (like firefighters) have very specific functional requirements such as the ability to lift, push, pull, climb, squat, etc., certain weight loads over a set period of time. Please refer to our Functional Testing page for more information.
Overall, the goal of MOH is to be able to communicate to an employer that a given candidate is medically fit and sometimes also functionally fit to safely perform the job to which they are being hired.
To learn more or to schedule an exam, please call us at 651-968-5300 or contact us here.