OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Physical Exams for Employees
Healthy employees make for a safer workplace, lower insurance costs and a more productive environment. Cascade Health will help you keep your employees safe and healthy on the job from pre-placement to exit surveillance and everything in between.
Our physical exam services help you avoid health and safety problems in the workplace by:
Reducing the risk of on-the-job injuries.
Ensuring employees aren’t assigned to jobs that aren’t safe for them to perform.
Keeping you in compliance with state and federal regulations.
Promoting a culture of health at work.
Identifying employee health problems early, when they can still be mitigated.
Preventing the spread of common diseases at work.
Learn more about our physical exam services below and contact us for more information. We’ll help you build an exam program to reach your workplace wellness goals.
✅ By Appointment
No matter your industry, pre-employment exams are a useful tool that can inform your hiring decisions. They can also save you money. By ensuring your new hires can safely meet the physical demands of the job — either by themselves or with the support of a brace or other equipment — they can help you prevent accidents, injuries and workers’ compensation claims.
Standard pre-employment physicals are like the annual physical your regular doctor performs, but with a greater focus on work functions. The physical looks at workers’ general health, medical history and symptoms of illness or chronic conditions that would keep the employee from safely performing job duties. A physical typically includes:
Checking vital signs
Height and weight measurements
Abdominal exam
Looking at the ear, nose, throat and head
Listening to the lungs
Examining the bones, muscles and joints
Assessing neurological functions
Looking at the skin and lymph nodes
Physical exertion tests if needed
Lab tests such as blood sugar, cholesterol, drug testing and others as needed
Pre-Employment Physicals
Related Services:
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Immunizations
TB Testing
Respirator Fit Tests
Vision, hearing and other screening tests
Industry-Specific Physical Exams
Cascade Occupational Health provides specialty workplace physical exams to meet the requirements of many specific regulatory bodies, including:
✅ Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) Physical (see below) for commercial drivers
✅ Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) Physical for pilots
✅ Military Physicals
✅ First Responder Physicals
✅ Immigration Physicals
✅ By Appointment ✅ D.O.T. Certified
Commercial truck driving is a demanding job with significant safety implications for drivers and the public. Because of this, drivers must meet the robust physical exam requirements of the Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) to qualify for their commercial driver’s license (CDL). Cascade Occupational Health providers stay current of at D.O.T. regulations so we can help you navigate federal requirements. We are certified and compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME).
A D.O.T. physical exam typically includes:
A review of the driver’s medical history
Checking vital signs and taking measurements like pulse, height, weight and blood pressure
Testing vision and hearing
Urinalysis to rule out medical problems
A physical exam of appearance and body systems such as the skin, neurological function, lung capacity and more
The required D.O.T. drug screen can be completed at the same time
Please note that employees must bring specific forms, identification and other documentation to their appointments. Requirements can be found on the employee page.
Department of Transportation (D.O.T.)
Related Services:
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Immunizations
✅ By Appointment
Essential function testing helps you make an informed decision about an applicant’s physical abilities to meet specific demands of a job. Cascade Occupational Health’s experts will work with you to identify the essential functions of individual jobs, tour your worksite and design customized functional tests to assess applicants’ abilities. We validate the test by asking current employees to take it and provide feedback, then modify as needed.
When prospective employees take the test, we also talk to them about body mechanics, proper lifting techniques and other precautions that will allow them to prevent injuries and accidents while on the job. The test is more in-depth than a standard pre-employment exam.
Some important notes:
The pre-placement essential function test is considered a medical screen according to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The test is developed for a particular job and cannot be used for employees applying for other positions.
All applicants who have been offered a position must take the test; the employer cannot choose who takes the test.
The test is completed after an offer of employment has been made but prior to employment. The offer of employment is contingent upon the applicant passing the test and can be revoked if the applicant is not able to safely complete the test based on the essential functions of the job.
Essential Function Testing Exams
Related Services:
Pre-Employment Physical
✅ By Appointment
Fit-for-duty exams are like essential function testing in that they assess whether it is safe for a worker to perform the tasks of a given job. However, fit-for-duty exams are for current employees who are either working or returning to work after an injury. Making sure the employee can go back to doing the same job helps prevent re-injury or exacerbating a non-work-related medical condition. The results of the exam can also help you make decisions about reassignment or accommodation as necessary.
Fit-for-Duty Exams
Related Services:
✅ By Appointment
A respirator evaluation is an OSHA-mandated health assessment required for all employees who must wear a respirator at work. The employee completes an OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire which is reviewed by a registered nurse or another licensed provider at Cascade Health. If the employee meets the criteria, we will clear them and send a certificate to you. Sometimes a follow up exam or additional testing may be needed before certification. After clearance, the employee can then schedule a respirator fit test.
We recommend updating respirator evaluations are every 1-2 years, depending on regulatory requirements and health factors, or is there is a change in:
The type of respirator the employee uses
Employee health
Working conditions
Respirator Evaluation
✅ By Appointment ✅ OSHA Certified
For many jobs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires regular exams to monitor employees’ ongoing health. Some combination of baseline, periodic and exit exams helps ensure that employees do not have any health changes that could indicate exposure to harmful materials.
Examples of OSHA surveillance exams include tests and exams that monitor:
Respirator effectiveness or fit
Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) exposure
Asbestos, lead, cadmium and chromium exposure
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) exposure
Blood work
Physical fitness, agility and strength
Visual and audio acuity
Lung function
Liver function