Now Offering Occupational Health Screening

It’s no secret that some jobs and careers are more physically demanding than others. Ensuring employees are able to safely and effectively carry out duties that require a certain level of physical aptitude is critical for maintaining a safe and productive work environment, all while promoting the well-being of your employees. That’s where Occupational Health Screening comes in: essentially, it consists of employment health screenings and physical exams to confirm a candidate’s fitness to perform certain job functions.  

Implementing an occupational health screening process, especially in safety-sensitive workplaces, can be a great way to: 

• Ensure staff—and in some cases, customer—safety 

• Minimize liability  

• Reduce the risk of on-the-job accidents  

• Support a drug-free workplace  

It’s also important to remember the candidate experience during this time. Struggling challenges like budgeting time to complete the exam or locating an authorized clinic, while under the pressure of searching for a new job, can be overwhelming. And if you’re hiring in a competitive market, a candidate may even choose another offer if that competitor’s application and onboarding processes are smoother.  

That’s why we’re excited to showcase our new Occupational Health Services to help you streamline your method for assessing a candidate’s capacity for maintaining a physically demanding role. Keep reading for a breakdown of the focal points of Occupational Health Screening, plus an overview of the new services available.  

A vital step of the candidate screening process  

In some cases, occupational health assessments are required to meet compliance regulations. But although they may not be required by law for your industry or organization, occupational health assessments can be a great addition to help you feel confident that you’re onboarding candidates who can consistently meet the demands of the role and identifying physical limitations or other health concerns before day one to avoid injuries or costly liability issues. 

What companies or industries would typically include occ health screening? 

The companies and industries that implement occupational health screening most notably include, but are not limited to:  

• Construction & Manufacturing  

• Transportation & Delivery Services 

• Healthcare & Long-Term Care 

• Education & Childcare 

• Correctional Facilities & Human Services 

But remember, even if your organization is not required to complete employment health screenings, it could still very well benefit from utilizing these services.  

When is Occupational Health Screening suitable?  

There are numerous cases that could justify requesting a candidate to complete an occupational health assessment, like positions requiring physical readiness, industries working with vulnerable populations, or crowded environments that are susceptible to spreading airborne disease. Quiz yourself to help decide if you could benefit from adding occupational health screening solutions to your current screening process. 

1. Do any of your roles require a certain level of physical fitness? 
2. Should your employees get tested for communicable diseases to keep your workforce healthy? 
3. Has anyone experienced on-the-job injuries that were preventable? 
4. Are you currently managing health screenings separately from your background check process? 

If any of these questions resonated with you, you may want to consider adding reliable occupational health services to your screening process. Verified Credentials offers a convenient solution to seamlessly incorporate employee health screening services into your process.

Occupational Health Services from Verified Credentials

There may be a variety of qualifications and exams for different roles, but today we’re focusing on the services available through Verified Credentials. For our clients, these services are now available to order through your administrative dashboard. You can add these to specific  packages or order à la carte as needed—no separate workflows or new logins required.  

• Physical Examination: Allows you to confirm new hires are physically capable of performing duties of the role. This often includes collecting data on the candidate’s medical history, vital signs, and body systems, plus how they may be affected by job-specific stressors, such as heavy lifting.    

• DOT Physical: Certifies drivers are fit to operate commercial vehicles. Mandated by the Department of Transportation (DOT), this exam assesses if a driver is physically and mentally capable of fulfilling their duties safely by evaluating medical history, vital signs, vision and hearing, and neurological health, as well as a physical examination. This process is designed to enhance road safety and diminish potential health risks that could lead to accidents.  

• Tuberculosis (TB) Skin Test: Helps you keep your workforce healthy by preventing the spread of tuberculosis. This medical process involves an injection of tuberculin solution and a health professional monitoring for a physical reaction at the injection site, often in the form of a hard, raised bump in the skin. Because this reaction must be measured over a 48-to-72-hour timespan, this procedure requires at least two visits to a health care provider.  

• Lift Test (up to 50 lbs): Determines whether candidates can lift items that weigh up to 50 pounds. Technique, strength, stamina, and body posture are all considered in this assessment to identify potential risks and ensure safe lifting practices.  

These screenings are administered through a nationwide network of trusted clinics, with results returned quickly and securely via the Verified Credentials employment screening platform.  

Why choose Verified Credentials for your occupational health screening needs? 

With our screening solutions, you get to maintain the same platform for all employment screenings and avoid having to manage multiple vendors, as health screenings can be bundled with your other background checks in a single workflow. In addition, clear instructions and convenient clinic options are provided to help candidates stay on track. A quick and easy clinic scheduling function and fast results keep your hiring process on track.  

We can also help lessen the administrative burden of keeping up with DOT, healthcare, and job-specific physical readiness requirements, as our solutions are consistently updated to reflect current compliance regulations.  

The takeaway

Whether required by law or simply taking the extra step to ensure the safety and physical dependability of your workforce, occupational health screening can play a relevant role in more situations than you might think. Pairing these screenings with your background check process streamlines the process and administrative burden, while emphasizing your commitment to employee health and wellness. 

 Interested in strengthening your screening process by adding Occupational Health Services from Verified Credentials to your workflow? Contact us to get started.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal opinion or advice. Like all regulated employment practices, it is best to review your compliance requirements with your organization’s legal counsel.