Pre-Placement Screening
Nothing may be as vital to a company’s bottom line as selecting the right workers for the job. Businesses need workers who are not only healthy and free of chemical dependence, but are also fit for the task they’re being hired to do. The experts at I&O Medical Centers have been working with businesses throughout the region for more than two decades to increase their profitability by helping them make informed hiring decisions.
“Pre-placement physicals are a good idea, not only because you want to make sure that the person matches the job and won’t be put at risk by doing it, but also to protect the employer from undue risk or liability down the road,” explains I&O CEO Dr. Michael Baddar. “An employer doesn’t want to be saddled with problems that are not his fault. We can document any health issues ahead of time – such as hearing loss due to military service, which we see often – to ensure that that doesn’t happen.”
I&O offers extensive pre-placement screening services, some of which are available in few other places. We regularly conduct Commercial Driver (DOT) exams, Hazardous Materials Exams, Asbestos & Respirator Clearance tests, DOT and non-DOT Drug and Alcohol testing, and other tests, including those that are company or industry specific.
Each type of physical exam requires special training by I&O physicians and staff. I&O’s specially-trained physicians conduct hundreds of Maritime physicals for workers being considered for jobs on the water. People applying for jobs with the Coast Guard must undergo an extensive physical, which I&O also offers. I&O has the training and expertise to handle the entire gamut of industry-specific pre-placement tests, including “Fit for Duty” physicals for crane operators, “Fork Lift Physicals” for prospective fork lift operators and many others.
“Pre-placement is really about prevention,” says Dr. Baddar. “We prevent accidents by making sure people can do the job safely, and we prevent liability by providing the employer with a clear picture of that patient’s physical condition before they even start. It is a win-win situation.”