Workplace Health Solutions for Tasmanian Employers
Coastal Physio are experts in all aspects of workplace rehabilitation and employee assessments.
Providing Assistance With Implementing Safer Working Practices
Coastal Physiotherapy have a long history of providing workplace health and safety solutions for employers throughout Tasmania. With a specific focus on the mining and agricultural sectors, Coastal Physio are fully aware of the importance of having a strong focus on workplace health and safety, which is vital to keep your employees safe and at full functional readiness. It’s becoming more common to read about employers who have failed to ensure a safe workplace and work practices, which often leads to large penalties and higher workers compensation insurance premiums. It’s just not worth the risk.
The Range of Workplace Health Solutions Provided by Coastal Physiotherapy includes:
Functional Capacity Evaluations
A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a series of standardised tests used to assess a workers functional capacity to work. They can be used as a source of information for:
- Return to work programs
- Assessing the worker’s capacity to return to specific duties or employment
- Assessing the worker’s current physical abilities and limitations
- Helping to assess the worker’s ability to return to work or to develop an alternate employment path
The areas tested during a Functional Capacity Evaluation include:
- Medical History
- Objective physical assessment
- Postural Tolerances (eg sitting, standing, reaching, crawling, squatting, stooping)
- Dynamic activities (walking, stair and ladder negotiation)
- Specific Job tasks.
Coastal Physiotherapy uses the WorkHab Functional Capacity Evaluation model. This is an internationally recognised evaluation tool that enables a licensed evaluator to objectively measure, determine and report on the functional abilities of an individual in both the home and work environment.
Simon West is registered and accredited by WorkHab International to perform Functional Capacity Evaluations at our Burnie clinic.
Find out further by visiting the WorkHab International website http://www.workhab.com/
Pre-Employment Assessments
Coastal Physiotherapy provide clients with a number of different types of Pre-Employment Assessments including:
- Physical Objective Assessment
- Functional Capacity Evaluations
- Specific task analysis and testing
- Individual company assessment tools and reports
Pre-employment assessments should take into account the specific task involved in a job and the candidate or worker’s physical ability to perform them.
Some examples of the Pre-Employment Assessments tasks include:
- Medical history
- Medical examination
- General fitness
- Postural tolerances
- Manual handling
- Dynamic activities
- Grip strength
Testing specific tasks against specific work tasks can ensure that employees are able to meet the physical demands of the job that they are applying for. Employees can then act by providing additional training and/or moving the worker to another area if they don’t meet these requirements of the job.
Any company can contact our Burnie or Somerset offices for quotes and other information regarding performing Pre Employment Assessments.
Work Related Injury Rehabilitation & Return to Work
Recovering from any injury, whether it be work related or on the sporting field, can be divided into two phases, the acute phase (immediate following the injury) and the chronic phase (long term recovery back to full strength and function).
Doctor or GP, Physiotherapist
In the acute phase your injury diagnosis is carried out by a general practitioner, sports doctor or in a hospital setting which may be followed by physiotherapy.
Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP)
An Accredited Exercise Physiologist can assist you with your long term return to strength and full function. They can also help you with exercises that will prevent injuries in the future.
Our professional multidisciplinary team have many years of experience in managing injured workers and providing positive outcomes for quick return to work. Coastal Physiotherapy recognise that the most important treatment outcome for musculoskeletal injuries is returning to as much of the patient’s usual daily activities, including work, as soon as possible. The early identification of barriers to injury recovery and rehabilitation progress, assist the development and implementation of appropriate targeted rehabilitation services and strategies that are founded on evidence-based decisions and best practice.
We are skilled in managing complex Return To Work (RTW) cases evidenced by good RTW outcomes. Our objective is to proactively assist the injured worker, the employer or manager, as well as the treating medical practitioner or other allied health professional to achieve the best possible outcome.
Part of the process is keeping all stakeholders informed by way of regular communication and comprehensive reporting to help you monitor the process.
Our work related injury rehabilitation programs include:
- initial needs assessments (INA)
- Workplace assessments
- job analysis assessment
- coordination of return to work programs
- functional capacity evaluations
- ADL/Home assessments
- early intervention programmes
Manual Handling Training
Manual handling can be defined as any activity requiring the use of force exerted by a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or to move, hold or restrain a person, animal or object.
Coastal Physiotherapy provides on the job, on site or off site manual handling training to all employers and employees. This includes servicing towns from Smithton, Wynyard, Somerset, Burnie, Penguin, Ulverstone and Devonport. A specific program can be designed to target the requirements or the specific industry or company.
Scott Willis has completed his Level 2 in Manutention for the Health Care Industry and Level 2 in Manutention for Industrial Loads. He has experience in the health care, mining, paper, cheese/milk production, and disability industries. Quotes and information on training requirements can be obtained from Scott.
Some areas that Scott covers in his Manual handling training include:
- Legislative requirements
- Anatomy of the spine
- Injury prevention
- Risk assessment and Hazard Identification
- Specific Gestural Training
- Clinical applications
- Specific hands on practice
Workplace Assessments
Coastal Physiotherapy can provide to employers worksite visits and assessments to ensure that employees are correctly set up for their job tasks. This could be from a computer desk to performing heavy and repetitive actions. We will provide a full assessment and report to the employer with the recommendations to ensure that the employee working at the most ergonomically sound workplace possible.
Any employer can contact our Burnie or Somerset clinics for advice, quote and further information.