Functional Employment Testing

The cost of Workers Compensation is always a big debate in Oklahoma, but instead of reforming the system, what if injuries could be prevented in the first place. That's the idea behind the growing

Friday, June 8th 2007, 10:07 am

By: News On 6

The cost of Workers Compensation is always a big debate in Oklahoma, but instead of reforming the system, what if injuries could be prevented in the first place. That's the idea behind the growing field of functional employment testing. The News On 6â€™s Steve Berg reports the would-be worker is put through a series of tests before they get to the job, to see if they're really physically capable of doing the job.

At Kabrick & Associates, Carthan Williams is being put through the wringer, but he doesn't seem to mind.

"Actually, it's kind of fun,â€ Williams said. â€œI've never done a test like this."

He's applying for a job as a painter, and he lifts, and pushes, and pulls.

Kabrick & Associates president Steve Kabrick says there's a method to the madness.

"Statistics show that 10% of the workforce is responsible for the majority of injuries, and these people will be reinjured," Kabrick said.

Kabrick says they will tailor the test to match a job as specifically as possible, sometimes even getting the exact equipment they'll be using.

"Before we set up a test, I actually go out to the jobsite and review what they're doing,â€ said Kabrick. â€œWe measure. We weigh. We watch."

Even though the goal is to find out if someone is injury-prone, they don't want them to be injured while doing the test. So they work their way up to the job requirement slowly, and he says the truth is usually apparent.

"Say they have to lift a 100-pound box, and during the testing they can only lift 75 pounds, well, we aren't going to go ahead and say well here go try to lift this 100-pound box," Kabrick said.

We wondered, with all of today's lawsuits, if anyone had every challenged functional employment testing in court. Kabrick says it happens, but many times, he says the employee is as happy with the system as the employer.

"A lot of them have no idea of the physical requirements of the job, and sometimes the employee based on their testing will go, â€˜this is not for meâ€™," said Kabrick.

Kabrick says this kind of testing has been around for 20 years, but not many employers use it.

Among those that do, they report saving 40 to 70 to even 80% on employee injury costs.

Watch the video: Local Company Puts Job Seekers To The Test