Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) certification

Learn to conduct comprehensive Job/Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) with our PDA Certification Course. Choose from on-demand, video conference, or classroom options, all delivering the same content and providing you with a Certified Physical Demands Analysis Evaluator certificate.

Metriks Education's Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) Certification course focuses on the proper design, administration, and interpretation of PDAs. You'll learn how to evaluate and quantify the physical and environmental demands of all essential and non-essential tasks within a job, ensuring workplace safety and effective employee performance.

Learning Outcomes 

  • Perform a comprehensive physical demands analysis assessment with a client 
  • Use information collected to guide the development of a detailed PDA
  • Provide appropriate instruction of assessment execution, including appropriate verbal and tactile cues
  • Review clinical records for information critical to conducting a disability or impairment rating evaluation.
  • Conduct a structured interview to gather data about a client’s history, perceived level of disability, activities of daily living and details of their job duties.
  • Measure and analyze levels of physical effort to determine if the client’s assessment data is a reasonable representation of ability or if the client could do more than demonstrated.
  • Conduct and interpret standardized measures of function and compare the results to required job demands.
  • Assess a client’s material handling ability and classify the results using the National Occupational Classification strength levels.
  • Explain the usefulness of JDA to a stakeholder involved in a client’s disability management.
  • Analyze a Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) to determine the job demands required for a return to work.
  • Perform a complete Physical Demands analysis.
  • Interpret and rate the results of a PDA.
  • Write a PDA report
  • Outline the financial and legal implications of PDA and why they are conducted.
  • Describe the history of functional capacity evaluations and where the comparison data originated.
  • Detail the processes for conducting a PDA.
  • Explain use of coefficients of variation when evaluation strength measurements.
  • Demonstrate the ability to conduct tests for pain of non-organic origin.
  • Demonstrate ability to design custom protocols to simulate occupational and work tasks for evaluation.
  • Demonstrate ability to conduct behavioural and validity analysis of PDA data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the training? 

  • Job/Physical demand analysis certificate
  • Online Open - book certification exam 
  • how to perform a PDA online with pre-recorded lectures 
  • How to perform PDA online videos 
  • Sample PDA Report templates (MS Word)
  • Components of a PDA 
  • How to write a report: PDA sample reports 
  • How to write a report: PDA Report interpretation guide 
  • How to write a report: PDA Report quality assurance checklist 
  • Guideline published by various healthcare associations 
  • research on PDA's reference list 
  • Legal cases on PDA's reference list 
  • Marketing Guide for your PDA practice 
  • Marketing materials sample articles and brochures free access for training purposes to Metriks PDA software platform: online data collection forms and automated report creation template. 

 Do I have to re-new the certification every year?

No, we at Metriks don't like certifications that require yearly renewals, seems like a money grab to us. You are a professional, if you want more education you will take more courses.

What if I have questions?

We are here to help. You can call toll free (866) 722 4722; email: kevin@metriks.ca or we can set up a Zoom video call.

Isn't hands on better?

We enjoy meeting and interacting with students during our in-person courses, but that is not practical for everyone. Performing PDA is not a technically challenging assessment, most of the testing is done by the client; Performing assessments related to their occupation: crouching, kneeling..etc. The complexity of the Physical demands analysis comes from the volume of tests and the interpretation of the data. 

Do I get data collection sheets, sample reports and manual?

Yes, Yes, and Yes. The 250 page manual includes data collection sheets, detailed instructions and interpretation guides. We include sample reports of 1-day, 2-day, and a variety of styles for long and short reports.

How is the course delivered?

The course is divided into 5 sections, each section has a an online lecture component with a variety of slides, videos, and readings. When applicable the section includes a workbook and lecture notes. Each section has an emphasis on data interpretation. The 5 sections are: Best Practice guidelines, video analysis, resources ,PDA template, video of real Job demands analysis.

What about report writing?

The course includes unlimited use (for educational purposes) of our Metriks PDA data collection and report writing software. This software will walk you through the entire process of completing the PDA. The data collection forms include data interpretation guides. Data is exported into a selection of MS Word templates that you can download to your computer.  

In this course, students become familiar with the field of Disability and Impairment ratings with a specific focus on the physical demands analysis (PDA). Students will comprehensively examine and apply various methods of evaluating Disability and Impairment in both healthy and injured clients within the scope of a work environment.