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Ergonomic Assessments and Workstation Assessments, ensure that an individual’s workspace is ergonomically designed to minimise the risk of injury in the workplace and maximise productivity.   These assessments are conducted by an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist. The specific assessment components include:

• Assessment of posture with education regarding the importance of maintaining good posture to minimise the risk of injury. A handout is provided regarding correct workstation set up and design.
• Assessment of specific physical demands of the role/duties completed.
• Assessment of equipment used and workplace design with modifications and adjustments made as required.
• Assessment of environmental factors, eg. lighting, noise, work surface, work environment and temperature.
• Education regarding the importance of pause-stretch exercises with a handout provided including appropriate exercises.

A Job Dictionary is a comprehensive report detailing analysis of work tasks for all jobs within an organisation. The Job Dictionary is tailored to the needs of the individual company and assists with compliance to the Equal Employment Opportunity, Workers’ Rehabilitation and OHS Acts and Regulations and the return to work of injured employees. Job Dictionaries can help to minimise WorkCover levies and associated claims and employment costs. Job Dictionaries offer the following benefits to organisations:

• Information for medical officers regarding the physical demands of tasks undertaken at the workplace, facilitation injured workers’ prompt and safe return to work
• Job demands for individual occupations highlighted to match with the worker’s physical capacities
• Assistance with job matching at pre-placement assessments
• Manual handling and task risk analysis, demonstrating compliance with OHS and manual handling legislative requirements
• Reduction in workplace accidents and associated costs through the early identification and implementation of risk minimisation strategies
• Provides a base for the generation of Safe Operating Procedures.

Our Consultants provide this service to prepare an injured worker for the return to suitable employment with the pre-injury employer.  This involves identifying the strategies and actions required in consultation with stakeholders in a timely and efficient manner to ensure a cost effective return to work outcome is achieved.

Our Consultants monitor and review a return to work program or plan with the pre-injury employer once suitable employment is identified and offered by the employer.  This ensures the return to work objective is achieved and any issues which may delay the return to work are identified and resolved in a timely manner.

Completed by either a psychologist or experienced Return to Work Consultant, this service is used to identify available, realistic and suitable employment options for the worker. Depending on the nature of claim, the assessment and resulting report may include a mixture of the following elements:

• Interview with the worker
• Non-psychometric assessments including an assessment of a worker’s vocational interest and preference
• Identification of at least 3 suitable employment options
• Labour market information to support any identified options

Our Consultants provide a service which includes the identification of suitable employment options for an injured worker and vocational preparation activities in group and one on one settings, to prepare the worker to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge for new suitable, safe and sustainable employment.

If the workers capacity to engage in identified employment is unclear, the Consultant will arrange foran unpaid work trial or training placement with a Host Employer. Work Training placements are a maximum of 4 weeks in duration and are designed to provide theworker with training and exposure to new employment opportunities. This allows the worker to understand the full requirements of the role and the employer to provide feedback to assist the worker with identifying additional skills or training requirements that may be necessary for the role.

Our Consultants provide a process for reliable and independent work productivity to enable people with a disability to obtain employment in an open labour market. This assessment allows us to assess the  productivity of the worker against average performance levels of co-workers without disability undertaking the same tasks or duties in the workplace.

Our Consultants will propose a RTW goal and timeframe and ensure a graded return to work plan is developed in line with the recommendations/restrictions to ensure a safe and durable return to work is achieved.

A Worksite Assessment is an on-site assessment of an injured worker’s pre-injury duties and/or potential suitable duties, with the aim of facilitating an appropriate placement for the worker.

Worksite Assessments provide valuable information to assist in the identification of issues that could potentially aggravate injuries.  They can also aid in the identification of preventative measures to reduce the possibility of future workplace injuries.

One of our Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists will attend the worksite and review the demands of each of the current roles within at the site. These roles will be matched with the worker’s current and expected future capacity, to help identify a safe graduated return to work program to ensure that the worker is able to achieve a sustained return to work.

This assessment can also be completed by one of our Psychologists in the event of psychological injuries.

This assessment will see one of our allied health professionals attend an injured worker’s home to make recommendations on aids and services which will assist them complete their day to day home activities. Such assistance can help injured workers maintain some control of their lives by assisting with their independence, and can also aid with recovery as it means aggravations in the home setting are minimised.

Our experienced Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists conduct independent assessments and make recommendations with regard to ongoing treatment goals for injured workers. They also review Return To Work Plans and identify opportunities to enhance rehabilitation activities with the aim of assisting injured workers back into employment.

Independent Clinical Assessments include:

1. Review of the workers medical history
2. Clinical assessment
3. Review of the workers activity and functional capacity
4. Preparation of a report

Reports are provided within 3 business days of the assessment to the Insurer, Employer and Worker.

With approval from all parties, our Consultants are able to attend appointments with a workers treating health practitioner to discuss diagnosis, prognosis, restrictions, RTW timeframes, capacity, treatment and upgrades to assist and support in the return to work process..

DP Workplace Solutions offers customised manual handling training for employers to educate their staff on correct techniques to help reduce the risk of injury.  An Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist will attend the worksite and meet with relevant personnel to gain an understanding of the various types of positions and the inherent physical demands. Training sessions are usually conducted with groups of no more than 12 members of staff, so training sessions can be interactive and allow attendees to ask questions.

Our Consultants are able to conduct a range of initial and one off assessments across the different programs, to evaluate an injured workers rehabilitation and return to work needs and determine appropriate actions and services required to optimise an injured workers return to suitable employment.

A Graduated Return To Work Program (GRTW) is aimed at reviewing the current physical demands of a position and determining how an injured worker’s injury impacts on their ability to perform the duties of the position. A program is developed to gradually increase an injured worker’s tolerance and capacity to perform the work, taking into consideration the role’s duties and physical demands. The purpose of a GRTW program is to assist injured workers to maintain their employment whilst undertaking rehabilitation. The programs consist of a gradual increase in productive work duties identified by the Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist as being within the worker’s capacity. GRTW programs take into account the nature of the workers injury and the physical performance of the specified duties.

Our consultants provide services with the aim of restoring a seriously injured worker to the community and if possible, progressing to a return to work.  The service may include coordinating appropriate recreational activities to support a seriously injured workers ongoing recover.  They also facilitate their social reintegration whilst maximising their ability to live independently in the community.

Designed for those who are unsure of which future career direction is appropriate, this service is delivered by one of DP Workplace Solutions’ registered Psychologists. The Psychologist will conduct a one-on-one assessment of the individual’s previous history, current situation, as well as desired career direction, and assist with redeployment into a new role. This service will also assist with the development and tailoring resumes, cover letters and individual job applications.

Our Labour Market Analysts are able to readily source and identify current job details, skills and requirements within a specific job role or industry. The Labour Market Unit collate current up to date information relating to labour market trends which is utilised to maximise opportunities for workers to engage successfully in sustainable paid employment.

Workers are referred for Job placement services when they are unable to return to the place of employment where the injury was sustained. Where “one on one” job seeking assistance is required, the Consultant will meet with the worker on a weekly basis to assist them to obtain employment with an alternative employer. Group job search training sessions are run weekly to assist with vocational preparation skills. Topics that are covered include resume preparation, canvassing techniques, personal presentation and interview skills, injury disclosure and Local labour market data.

Our Consultants are able to complete WSS Initial Assessments for psychological injury claims where a workplace relationship issue is the barrier to a return to work. Our Consultants will assist all parties to address or resolve the circumstances that led to the workplace issues and instill confidence in all parties for a safe and sustainable return to work.

A Job Analysis is a detailed assessment of the physical demands and content of work duties. Job Analyses are undertaken to identify potential difficulties injured workers may encounter in performing the tasks of a job. They may include recommendations of possible solutions and provide advice on the safest way of performing particular tasks.
Job Analyses are conducted at the worker’s place of employment and include:

• Analysis of the job’s physical demands
• Analysis of the work environment

A Job Analysis Report is compiled by the Therapist, which includes recommendations regarding:

• Modification of tasks or the way tasks are undertaken
• Provision of aids or equipment
• Introduction of work practice guidelines to ensure appropriate body mechanics.

A Vocational Assessment is completed by one of DP Workplace Solutions’ registered psychologists. The purpose of the service is to evaluate a worker’s actual and potential ability, cognitive skills, aptitudes and competencies by way of one-on-one interview, psychometric interview, and review of vocational history. This information is then gathered and related to available and realistic job options, which the worker would be potentially suitable to perform. 

Completed by one of our suitably qualified Occupational Therapists, this assessment can be varied depending on the nature of the worker’s injury, however the worker is asked to complete a number of tasks to identify a worker’s true functional capacity. This information can be used to confirm whether identified return to work options are suitable, or can assist with the develop of suitable employment options within the worker’s identified capacity.

This flexible service is designed to assist our referring Clients with file progression by utilising the specialist skills of one of our allied health professionals or return to work consultants. Depending on the requirements of the referrer at the time, this service could involve one of our specialised team to attend and chair a Case Conference at a worker’s medical providers rooms, review and provide an independent opinion on a file, or gather information to assist the referrer with making informed decisions. This service is capped at 4 hours, including travel.