Reducing Work-Related Injuries with a POET program

According to OSHA, more than 40% of all work-related injuries happen to employees who have been on the job for less than one year. For companies looking to reduce worker injuries, one place to start may be to examine their hiring process.

Post-Offer Employment Testing (POET) programs are an effective tool to safely place employees in positions that match their abilities.

Research shows that when comprehensive POET programs are put in place, companies experience significantly fewer work-related injuries. This is because, during a POET (which is executed post-offer before the job start), newly hired employees demonstrate their physical abilities using specialized equipment and unique physical protocols that tie back to the physical demands of the job. The data collected during these tests help ensure the employee can handle the physical demands of the job which greatly reduces his/her risk of injury.

Implementing a comprehensive and proven program is key to ensuring the success of your POET rollout. There are three steps to Briotix Health's POET program. 

STEP 1: Analysis - Data Review and Physical Demands Analysis
Briotix Health clinicians go onsite to objectively measure the physical aspects of role expectations. These measurements can include: 

• Lifting/Pulling/Pushing/Gripping
• Height/Weight/Distance
• Frequency and Duration
• Environmental Conditions (Lighting/Noise/Temperature)

After measurements are collected, a physical demands analysis (PDA) is created for each job role. That PDA becomes the basis of the testing protocols created in step two.

STEP 2: Development - Creation and Validation
Using the PDA created from the analysis step, test templates are designed to measure an applicant's physical capacity to meet the required job demands. These test templates are created using highly sensitive BTE Employment technology equipment so they can be validated and then replicated regardless of location. This makes our POET process ideal for companies with multiple locations.

Once the testing protocols are developed and validated, the client and Briotix Health create pass/fail standards together.  

STEP 3: Execution - Live Post-Offer Employment Testing Cycle
Once a POET cycle is ready to go live, it can be administered in three different ways - whatever best fits the needs of the client. We offer:

1. Onsite: Equipment is placed in a company's location and tests are administered during designated hours by a Briotix Health clinician. This works well for companies that do a lot of hiring or have busy hiring seasons. 
2. Partner Clinics: Employees are tested off-site at one of our partner clinics near the work location. This works well for companies that do not do bulk hiring or have a lower hiring rate. 
3. Analog: A Briotix Health clinician conducts the POET on- or off-site using simulation protocols rather than BTE Employment Testing equipment. 

Once a POET cycle launches, Briotix Health providers monitor and continuously adjust as needed. To learn more about our industry-leading POET program, check out this BTE Employment Testing information.