To enhance early return to work for Metro Vancouver and member municipality employees, a database of the physical tasks and physical risks in common municipal positions has been created.

The Physical Job Demand Analysis (PJDA) database will enable the medical community, rehabilitation coordinators, claims staff, employers and workers to better understand the physical components and risk factors associated with these positions.

Why is a Physical Job Demand Analysis needed?

When an employee is injured on the job, the medical community, rehabilitation coordinators and claims staff face the difficult challenge of determining when this person is able to return to work. Likewise, employers often face the challenge of finding appropriate duties, modified or alternate work for an employee.

The PJDA database will offer everyone involved a better understanding of the physical demands of a job. This will result in better post-injury assessments and pre-assessment of training required to prevent or reduce further on-the-job injury.

Much of the challenge involves identifying parts of the job an employee can safely perform. While many job descriptions specify duties and responsibilities, the physical demands are not often measured. Without a measurement of the physical demands, it is difficult to assess which duties are safe for the employee.

On occasion, an employee goes back to a position that isn't suitable given the injury. Or an employee doesn't return to a position because no alternate work is made available.