A PDA is the “cornerstone” of the analytical process used to determine compatibility between a worker and a specific job.

A Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) is a systematic procedure to quantify and evaluate all of the physical and environmental demand components of all essential and non-essential tasks of a job. PDA is a process of establishing what a job is… in its entirety… in a way that complies with the Ontario Human Rights Code. A PDA is the “cornerstone” of the analytical process used to determine compatibility between a worker and a specific job.

Why do we need a PDA?

With Bill 99 (Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997), the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has the right to request information about an injured worker’s functional abilities from a treating health professional (Sec. 37.3). The required information must be provided on a prescribed form distributed by WSIB. The purpose of obtaining an injured worker’s functional abilities is for “facilitating the worker’s timely return to work”.

One of the primary goals of a Functional Ability Evaluation (FAE) is to match an injured worker’s work capability to a job or task, without causing an overexertion injury. If the functional abilities of an injured worker are used to assess whether a worker can return to work (RTW), a PDA describing the job should also be developed. Without any information about the physical demands of a job's essential and nonessential duties, the functional ability information is not useful.