Transcript Slide 1

Police Service of
Northern Ireland
Functional Physical Competence Testing –
The Challenges
John Henderson
Director of Physical & Health Education
Occupational Health & Well-being September 2010
“Assaults on PSNI rise by 33% in just four years”
(2,928 incidents)
“ I couldn’t breathe. But he kept on kicking me and
punching me.”
“It’s treated as a sport, says officer beaten up by a
drunk.”
What components combine to
make up physical fitness ?
Speed
Power
Anaerobic
Endurance
Coordination
Motor skills
Nutrition
Reaction Time
Flexibility
Strength
Aerobic
Endurance
What physical competencies are required to
be an operational police officer ?
• Walk, Run, Jump, Climb, Balance,
Crawl, Weave, Lift, Carry, Drag, Push and Pull
• Created the PSNI Physical Competence
Assessment from these competencies
OBJECTIVE UNDERPINNING DESIGN
PROCESS
“To design a valid, reliable and fair procedure that
could be used to assess an individuals’ actual or
inherent ability to perform the tasks involved in police
duties”
PSNI Concept of Physical
Competence: Job-Related
1. Task Analysis
2. Identified Core Physical Competencies
3. Designed an assessment
The Structured Interviews - sampling and
participation:
538 participants were selected at random from 2,730.
80% of all females were selected to attend.
Of these,
368 officers (230 males and 138 females)
representing 68% of the target sample took part in the study.
What steps were involved in developing a
interview framework for data collection?
Prepare and validate a job description that defines the full
range of duties that PSNI regular officers perform

Prepare and validate a list of physical activities that Officers
may be required to perform

The agenda for structured interview...
 Mobile patrols
 Vehicle check point
 Beat patrols
Joint Army patrols
Searching
 Accidents
Brawls
 Public order
Arrests
Rural route checks
Maintenance
Participants asked to select tasks from the job
description, which had been performed during the
previous month, and to identify:

the physical activities involved.

the amount of each activity.

the perceived effort.
Physical activities most frequently recorded...
Lifting
Stair-climbing
Climbing
Jumping
Crawling
Pushing/Pulling
Balancing
Weaving
Carrying
Dragging
Running
CONTENT & STANDARD OF PHYSICAL
COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT (PCA)
1. Circuit
Embodies job related tasks performed in succession
within a time limit which reflects a sense of urgency
Standard: 3m 43sec
2. Push-Pull
Requires subject to generate physical force in a
controlled environment.
Standard: 26kgf

Insert file called PCA – test in
test box to open automatically
Scope of the Independent Review
1. The validity of the PCA.
2. The appropriateness of the standards.
3. The efficacy of the assessment process.
4. The legal impact.
5. To consider the JRFT as an alternative. (Home Office test)
OUTCOME OF REVIEW
Confirmed:
► Validity of the circuit content & push/pull system
Recommended:
► A new time standard for the circuit (3min 43sec)
►Rejected the adoption of the JRFT on both scientific &
legal grounds
►Minor modifications to the Push/Pull machine and a
new standard (26kgf)
Why assess the ability to
generate force?
•The necessity to apply force was found to be a
critical job-related task.
• Particularly associated with officer safety during a
physical confrontation.
• The 'push-pull element' was designed to assess the
capability to perform a range of tasks involving pushing
and pulling.
Analysis of Key Parameters
1. Handle height.
2. Slide length.
3. Isokinetic test speed.
4. Test standard.
1.
Handle Height
(Operational Range)
•
Xiphoid Process
•
Sternal Notch.
Mean force versus handle height (m)
Kg force
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
1.20
1.21
1.23
1.22
1.25
1.24
1.26
Handle height (m)
1.29
1.28
1.30
Mean force versus handle height (m)
60
55
Kg force
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
1.20
1.21
1.22
1.24
1.26
1.28
1.30
Handle height (m)
Height range 1.62-1.69 m
Height range 1.78-1.85 m
Height range 1.70-1.77 m
Height range 1.86-1.94 m
2. Slide Length
“Starting with toes behind the line, feet shoulder width
apart, step forward into a strong and balanced position
keeping the chest facing forwards”
Old length: 0.85m
New length: 0.70m
Mean force at 1.25 m handle height
50
kg force
40
30
20
10
0
0.70
0.85
Slide Range (m)
Mean force at 1.21 m handle height
50
kg force
40
30
20
10
0
0.70
0.85
Slide Range (m)
Mean force at 1.21 m handle height
70
60
kg force
50
40
30
20
10
0
1.62-1.69 m
1.70-1.77 m
Slide range = 0.70 m
1.78-1.85 m
1.86-1.94 m
Slide range = 0.85 m
3. Slide Speed (40Hz)
•
The push-pull machine provides maximal resistance through a full
range of movement, allowing the active muscles to apply maximal force
over each phase of movement.
• Isokinetic testing means the speed remains constant throughout the
movement no matter how much force is exerted.
•
This method of assessment is safe and reliable.
Mean force versus sliding speed (Hz)
40.0
Kg force
37.5
35.0
32.5
30.0
27.5
25.0
25
30
35
40
Hertz
45
50
55
Mean force versus sliding speed (Hz)
Kg force
50
40
30
20
10
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
Hertz
Height range 1.58 - 1.64 m
Height range 1.72 - 1.77 m
Height range 1.65 - 1.71 m
Height range 1.78 - 1.86 m
4. Push-Pull Test Standard
Statistic
Mean Force in Kgf
Mean
40
SD
10
Min
25
Max
64
Percentile Rankings
95th
59
50th
40
5th
26
 Recommended Standard 26 kgf
4. Circuit Test Standard
Statistic
Circuit Time (s)
Mean
190
SD
21
Min
159
Max
259
Percentile Rankings
95th
163
50th
190
5th
223
 Recommended Standard 3m 43s
IMPACT OF PCA
 Gender
 Age
 Stature
Circuit time (seconds)
360
914 males
370 females
300
240
180
120
60
0
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
Height (m)
What is the effect of height on circuit time ?
2.4
Circuit time (seconds)
360
914 males
370 females
300
240
180
120
60
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Weight (kg)
What is the effect of weight on circuit time ?
Circuit time (seconds)
360
914 males
370 females
300
240
180
120
60
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
Age (years)
What is the effect of age on circuit time ?
60
80
914 males
370 females
Push-pull force (kgf)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
Height (m)
What is the effect of height on push-pull ability ?
80
914 males
370 females
Push-pull force (kgf)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Weight (kg)
What is the effect of weight on push-pull ability ?
80
914 males
370 females
Push-pull force (kgf)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
10
20
30
Age (years)
40
50
60
What is the effect of age on push-pull ability ?
Outcomes 2003/2010
• Employed 3900 (no entry test – except for medical appeals).
• Dismissed 28 student officers (26F/2M)
and 2 (F) probationer officers 2003/2010.
• Decision taken to introduce regular in-service
medical and fitness screening.
EQUALITY LEGISLATION
Test must be:
 Job-Related (correspond to a real need)
 Inherent Activities
 Gender Neutral
 Can’t Overtest or Undertest (appropriate & necessary)
LEGAL TERMS
Remember: Indirect discrimination is not illegal
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•
•
•
•
•
Applicant
Respondent
Justifiability
Disparate Impact
Proportionate to Need
Intentionality
Legal Challenge Dougan V Chief Constable
• PSNI accepted the PCA indirectly discriminates against
females
Tribunal required the PSNI to:
•
justify the need for the test
•
prove the discrimination was proportionate to needs
•
prove there was no intention to discriminate
Legal Justification to
apply a test

Disparate impact on
females acceptable as
it justified

TRIBUNAL FINDINGS
Circuit Content
Push/Pull Content &
Standard

Circuit time not
sufficiently justified
X
Joanne Dougan vs. The Chief Constable - 2001
We lost the case because the court said we had
failed to justify the standard of the circuit
element but we won the remedies hearing
Let’s look at what the court said
Joanne Dougan vs. The Chief Constable
“ …..court accepted that it was correct to involve in-service
officers in the decision making process. The mistake was
made by not returning to consult after a decision was
made.”
Joanne Dougan vs. The Chief Constable
“ ..tribunal is in no doubt that the police service was
correct not to adopt gymnasium/laboratory tests but
rather to use purpose-designed job related
assessments based on abilities and work patterns
required for safe and efficient job performance.”
Joanne Dougan vs. The Chief Constable
“ the Court is satisfied the introduction of a job-related
PCA was justifiable…..also satisfied the respondent had
shown the circuit and the push-pull device were justified
and non discriminatory.”
Joanne Dougan vs. The Chief Constable
“…no dispute that with gender neutral tests such as
these there would be differences between male and
female times …..but both are required to do the same
job.”
Joanne Dougan vs. The Chief Constable
“..only because the PCA had the same standard for male
and female and given the tribunal fully recognised the
physiological differences there was clearly scope for a
discriminatory effect to exist.”
**
Remember the old Chinese Proverb
“….if you sit by the river bank long enough
the body of your enemy will float past”