Pre-placements medical examinations can save money by preventing back injuries.

Not long ago we had an applicant for a professional driver’s job attend for a preplacement medical. In the questionnaire there was denial of any previous work injuries and he denied any history of back pain, disc injury or sciatica. He had also initially ticked “Yes” for having had operations, but changed this to indicate “No”.

He had the usual audiogram, lung function tests (spirometry), vision screening, drug screening, grip strength and detailed physical examination. When conducting a musculoskeletal assessment, our doctor noted he had old healed surgical scars over his low back. He then admitted to having had a spinal fusion more than 10 years ago and having had a lumbar disc injury related to lifting at work. He had had many months off work and had been advised to have a permanent lifting restriction. He also said he had received a pay out in excess of $380,000. He was experiencing ongoing low back pain. He was also having annual x-rays of his lumbar spine by his GP for some reason.

The work he was going to be doing would have placed him at major risk of future aggravation of this injury and as such, placement in a less strenuous occupation was advised. Restrictions on lifting, prolonged static postures, exposure to whole body vibration and bending were advised.

Another case:

We had an applicant for a warehouse position recently who denied any previous injuries on his questionnaire. Some of the work involved lifting up to 20kg. When undressed he tried to hide his lower back from the examiner. On closer examination we noted that he had a scar from previous spinal surgery. He did not wish to disclose this.

We were able to advise of important restrictions on his work tasks and the prospective employer was then able to safely place him in suitable work.

These cases emphasise the value of pre-placement examinations in identifying workers at high risk of significant and disabling back or other injuries. The potential for very expensive workers’ compensation claims is clear.

We encourage employers to seek effective and thorough pre-placement medical assessments and are happy to provide further information regarding these. QOH provides thorough assessments at very competitive rates.

For more information or a sample report, please contact Dr David Allen at david allen@qoh.com.au on 9897 7699.

PREPLACEMENT ENQUIRIES HERE.....