Chris is an exercise physiologist with Prime Health and is part of the team responsible for conducting preemployment medicals for new Pilbara Iron recruits.
“The type of testing you will undergo depends on the type of job you’re applying for. Some jobs require a lot of physical strength so we test for flexibility, upper body, back and stomach strength, as well as manual handling technique. Others require different attributes, such as a high level of general fitness or endurance.”
Pre-employment medicals are comprehensive and help to identify health issues that may impact on a person's ability to perform their job safely. In the mining industry, some medical assessments, such as hearing tests, are required by legislation.
Prime Health's General Manager Julie Carr said that while most medical conditions would not prevent someone from actually doing a job, both employees and employers had a duty of care to manage health issues responsibly. In some circumstances this demanded that health related matters be disclosed to ensure that health and safety obligations could be met.
If someone had a medical condition that required precautions in the workplace, for example the need for diabetics to avoid working in isolation, then it was important that the employer be told about the condition so appropriate action could be taken. Julie said it was important to disclose even minor ailments, such as occasional neck pain, so that effective prevention and management strategies could be implemented to assist the employee and prevent the problem becoming worse.
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