A study of the effects of isokinetic pre-employment physical
capability screening in the reduction of musculoskeletal disorders in a labor
intensive work environment
Affiliations: Keith E. Rosenblum Consulting, LLC, Kansas City, MO,
USA | Tulane University, Department of Biostatistics, School
of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
Abstract: Objectives: This study investigated the effects of pre-employment
physical ability screening using isokinetic dynamometry in injury development,
specific to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the knees, shoulders and back
among workers in physically demanding jobs. Methods: New hires (n=503) from a large US employer's 105
industrial yards were screened to match the physical demands of their
prospective jobs and tracked for up to 33 months. Results were compared to a
control group of 1423 workers. Results: There were significant reductions in the frequency
and severity of musculoskeletal disorder injuries in the screened employee
population. Non-screened applicants were 2.38 times more likely to experience a
MSD-related overexertion injury specific to the knees, shoulders and back than
screened hires (OR=2.3759; p=0.0001), and incurred 4.33 times higher cost of
claims (p=0.0003). Covariates of age, pay type, race and job classification
were markedly different between screened and unscreened hires. Among the
screened cohort, only the more physically demanding job classifications were
significant with field material handlers 7.1 times more likely to experience a
non-MSD than less physically demanding workers (OR=7.1036; p=0.0063). Conclusions: Objective isokinetic pre-employment screening may
significantly reduce injuries in physically demanding jobs. Employees having
been effectively matched to the physical demands of their jobs may be at
significantly lesser risk of injury and disability from both musculoskeletal
and non-musculoskeletal disorders.
