The Medical Screening Manual for Law Enforcement Officers is consistent with the June 22, 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision. These decisions clearly state that Police Departments need not hire the physically unqualified or persons who are inordinate safety risks in order to avoid ADA lawsuits. The U.S. Supreme Court plainly stated the following:

By its terms, the ADA allows employers to prefer some physical attributes over others and to establish physical criteria. An employer runs afoul of the ADA when it makes an employment decision based on a physical or mental impairment, real or imagined, that is regarded as substantially limiting a major life activity. Accordingly, an employer is free to decide that physical characteristics or medical conditions that do not rise to the level of an impairment–such as one’s height, build, or singing voice–are preferable to others, just as it is free to decide that some limiting, but not substantially limiting, impairments make individuals less than ideally suited for a job.

The Medical Screening Manual for Law Enforcement Officers integrates job analysis information obtained from individual police departments into a single reference manual to guide physicians in their preplacement and fitness-for-duty assessments. The manual is the most comprehensive occupational medical screening manual ever developed for assessing job applicants for any occupation.

For each medical condition, the Medical Screening Manual for Law Enforcement Officers describes the job-related factors (physical abilities and working conditions) that should be evaluated by the examining physician prior to making a placement recommendation. Expert occupational medical advice and guidance for the evaluation of a wide variety of conditions likely to be present in the applicant population. Detailed coverage is given to recurring issues in medical screening such as appropriate vision and hearing requirements, assessment of persons with diabetes, musculoskeletal injuries, HIV+ status, seizure disorders, and a multitude of other complex issues.

The Medical Screening Manual for Law Enforcement Officers covers the following:

Chapter I:   MEDICAL SCREENING UNDER THE ADA

• The Preplacement Examination
• The Americans with Disabilities Act
• Evaluating Risk
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Job Analysis Information
• Summary
• References

Chapter II:   PREPLACEMENT EXAMINATION PROTOCOL

• Recommended Procedures and Tests

Chapter III:   MEDICAL GUIDELINES

• Dermatological System
• Ears, Nose and Throat
• Eyes and Vision
• Ears and Hearing
• Pulmonary System
• Cardiovascular System
• Endocrine System
• Gastrointestinal System
• Genitourinary System
• Hematopoietic System
• Musculoskeletal System
• Neurological System
• Oncology
• Infectious Disease

Chapter IV:   APPENDICES

• Medical History Questionnaire
• Clinical Examination Form

The Medical Screening Manual for Law Enforcement Officers has been designed to assist examiners in closely focusing on the actual physical demands and working conditions of the job. This linkage allows for an individualized assessment of the individual in relation to the job as required by law. The individualized assessment must be made by the occupational physician after examining the individual, medical history, any current condition and prognosis, and functional ability in relation to the actual job requirements.

Several major Police and Sheriff's departments are currently using the Medical Screening Manual for Law Enforcement Officers for medically screening new recruits into their ranks. Please contact MED-TOX information about how your department can utilize this resource to ensure that only those truly qualified for the job are hired.