A Detailed Guide on Pre-Employment Physical Tests (Abu Dhabi)

A Detailed Guide on Pre-Employment Physical Tests : When hunting for a job, some employers might ask applicants to pass a physical exam which is mandatory should you find employment across the home country. There are, however, some conditions or factors which determine what the employer can ask, the type of medical/physical assessment to be performed and appropriate time.

With pre-employment tests in Abu Dhabi for instance, the rule’s applicable on private and government employers, employment agencies, labour organisations and so on. At the same time, the legislation makes it illegal for any employer or organisation to discriminate applicants based on disability or shortcoming which prohibit candidates to perform the job.

Table of Content

Pre-Employment Physical Assessment
- Legal Guidelines
- Employer Requirements
Post-Employment Requisites
- Detailed screening: musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, skin and lymphatic, cardiovascular system, head, eyes, ears, throat and nose
- Neurological and respiratory system evaluation
- Occupational/Medical history
- Test for visual acuity, vital signs, blood pressure and urine dip
Physical Exam Components
- Blood pressure
- Height and Weight
- Pulse rate
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Respiration rate
- Previous medical history
- Existing/Possible medical illness or anomaly
- History on allergic reaction, physical and psychological abnormality etc.
Drug & Alcohol Screening (marijuana, alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates )
Sensory Testing
Musculoskeletal Exams
Cardiopulmonary & Cardiovascular Screening
Infectious Disease Test (measles, tuberculosis, shingles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis and even HIV)
Industries that Require Physical Screening
Employee Screening Management

1. Pre-Employment Physical Assessment

Legal Guidelines
To maintain confidentiality and legal rights of applicants against discrimination, no medical screening is to be performed before extending the job offer. Still, all employers are preferred to ask potential applicants if they’re willing to take the exam whereas brief candidates about the procedure.

Employer Requirements
Physical examination falls under the comprehensive and legal procedure of pre-employment tests in Abu Dhabi. None of the applicant is to be discriminated against the test results whereas all the medical records and history should be kept confidential.On the contrary, candidates undergoing the physical and medical assessment should understand the procedure and provide approval in writing. For employers with disabilities, employers are required to make all necessary accommodation.

2. Post-Employment Requisites

Physical examination may differ, based on the industry and nature of job to be performed by the employee in the long-run. Basic procedure however includes:

Detailed screening: musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, skin and lymphatic, cardiovascular system, head, eyes, ears, throat and nose
Neurological and respiratory system evaluation
Occupational/Medical history
Test for visual acuity, vital signs, blood pressure and urine dip

3. Physical Exam Components

Each physical assessment comes with customised components or medical requirements unless specified by state regulation. Most would include:

Blood pressure
Height and Weight
Pulse rate
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Respiration rate
Previous medical history
Existing/Possible medical illness or anomaly
History on allergic reaction, physical and psychological abnormality etc.

4. Drug & Alcohol Screening

Physical exam may also include drug and alcohol screening, performed at a different facility to determine recent intake of marijuana, alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates and various other drugs. To obtain the test, sample is collected through blood, swab, urinalysis or hair. Company policy decides the samples against which the substance or drug is tested to form a conclusive result.

5. Sensory Testing

Ultimately job safety is directly associated with vision and hearing. That said, sensory aids like eyeglasses, hearing gadgets are common to ensure smooth and unrestricted performance in various circumstances. But, professions that may require colour differentiation may need colour blindness assessment after which corrective devices may be needed to improve performance or to conduct further analysis.

6. Musculoskeletal Exams

Musculoskeletal examination is performed to determine reflexes and motion of an individual. Some of the jobs may require regular heavy pushing, lifting, pulling, repetitive motion, climbing and extreme physical fitness. Bone density tests to check for osteoporosis, iso-inertial and isokinetic which would decide on workers’ anaerobic capabilities for maximum physical stamina and strenuous lifting. Carpal tunnel exams may be performed to detect possible injury or potential for tasks that require repetitive movement.

7. Cardiopulmonary & Cardiovascular Screening

Brief or cursory screening of the lungs and heart through blood pressure cuff and stethoscope is a basic procedure but, detailed screening and more tests may be recommended depending on particular nature of the job. Electrocardiogram/echocardiogram (EKG/ECG) and cardiac stress tests are among the common cardiovascular tests to determine strength and stamina of the heart. Gas diffusion, plethysmography spirometry tests determine lung strength, blood/oxygen level, carbon monoxide diffusion and various other functions of the lung.

8. Infectious Disease Test

Jobs that may result in close encounter or possible contact with others such as in the medical industry and so on require applicants to undergo screening for possible infectious or communicable diseases like measles, tuberculosis, shingles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis and even HIV.

9. Industries that Require Physical Screening

Some of the occupations and industries have made it mandatory to undergo physical assessment. To name a few, check out the list below:

Healthcare workers in the hospital and medical facilities
Caregivers and homecare workers
Drivers
Factory workers and labour force
Automotive and manufacturing industries
Drug and medicine

The list of industries and their screening requisites can be different. Candidates are thus required to know in detail before application so as to avoid inconvenience.

10. Employee Screening Management

Employers and organisations that require mandatory physical exam of the applicant may find the entire procedure from scheduling to reporting, documentation and testing; quite stressful especially with limited resources.

This is when authorised screening facilities like Capital Health Screening Centre in Abu Dhabi comes to play a crucial role especially with fast, reliable and accurate pre-employment tests in Abu Dhabi. That said, many screening centres like Capital Health in Abu Dhabi also offer mobile screening units as an added convenience.