Pre-employment functional assessments
Supporting safe and sustainable workplaces
A Pre-Employment Functional Assessment (PEFA) evaluates an individual’s physical capacity to safely perform the essential demands of their job.
At Lambton Physiotherapy & Sports Medicine, our assessments are conducted by qualified physiotherapists and exercise physiologists who understand the physical requirements across a range of industries.
By assessing key factors such as strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and posture, we can determine a candidate’s suitability for the role and identify potential risk factors for injury — helping employers build safer, more resilient teams.
Why pre-employment assessments matter
Workplace injuries can have lasting impacts for both employers and employees. Investing in pre-employment assessments reduces the risk of injuries, improves staff retention, and supports a culture of safety and wellbeing.
According to Australian Workers’ Compensation Statistics (2020–2021), there were over 130,000 serious claims, with body stressing, falls, and being hit by moving objects making up more than 75% of all incidents.
Industries with the highest frequency of claims include:
- Healthcare and social assistance
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing
- Community and personal service roles
Pre-employment assessments are especially valuable for occupations involving manual labour, repetitive movements, or prolonged physical demands.
What’s included in a PEFA
Our assessments are comprehensive and can be tailored to suit your organisation’s needs. A standard PEFA includes:
- Medical history and pre-exercise screening (PAR-Q)
- Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate)
- Vision and lung function testing
- Grip strength and range of motion assessments
- Postural tolerance tests (sitting, standing, squatting, kneeling)
- Musculoskeletal and balance testing
- Cardiovascular step test
- Manual handling and lifting assessments
- Optional drug and alcohol screening
Occupation-specific testing can also be developed based on your company’s job descriptions or task analyses.