Physical Demands Analysis:

Understanding the Essentials

What is a Physical A Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) quantifies the essential physical
demands required by an employee for a job, including all important
Demands Analysis? related information, such as:

Job title

Job description

Job details (shift days/length, rotation, break schedules, etc.)

Functional abilities required to safely perform the job

All essential and non-essential demands required to perform the job

When done correctly and accurately, any information within a PDA can
also be used as legally defensible documentation, if or when necessary.

Why Do You Need PDAs?

MSDs are the single largest category of

workplace injuries, making up nearly 35%
of workers’ compensation costs in the US.

PDAs help employers accurately assess MSD cases require 38% more time away
from work compared to the average 38%
whether an employee can perform all injury = billions of lost dollars per year. MORE
tasks required for their job, ensuring that
the risk of musculoskeletal disorders
(MSDs) for employees is greatly reduced.
5x Indirect costs of MSDs, like loss of productivity,
are 5 times that of direct costs, such as workers’
compensation payments & medical expenses.

What is a Physical Demands Analysis Used For?

1. Pre-employment screening:
To determine an employee’s capabilities in reference PPE
to the job responsibilities.
Ex: Post Offer Employment Testing (POET), Fit for Duty programs

2. Return to Work (RTW) job placement:

To determine an employee’s ability to complete their
job after returning from an injury. PDA
3. Evaluating personal protective equipment
(PPE) requirements: PRE-
RTW
To determine what types of PPE are necessary for an EMPLOYMENT
employee to perform a specific job.

What Are the Key Components of a PDA?

Description of Job:
Job responsibilities Shift length/cycle Break Periods

Essential and Non-Essential Functions:

Functional Ability/Objective Measurements:
Types of movement in job task Measurements:
(manual handling, positional requirements, etc.) forces, ranges of motion, weights, distances, heights
Equipment information Frequency and duration of specific tasks performed
Tools Needed

Essential Non Essential

Other pieces to consider in PDAs:

Absolutely critical Occur very infrequently. PPE details

and fundamental to a
person’s job.
Could be assigned to Images/media of job being performed
other people without
altering the reason that Information about environmental conditions & factors
the job exists in the
first place.
Section for “notes and recommendations”

PDA Workflow

PDAs Essential Job Employee Return to Work,

Functions Testing Job Placement
Foundation of
ergonomics/safety Use as testing criteria Post Offer Employment Compare employee
program Testing, Fit for Duty capabilities against job
requirements

Ensure that all employees are able to perform their jobs

safely with the VelocityEHS Health Solution.

Learn More

www.EHS.com