Police Service of Northern Ireland

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Police Service of Northern
Ireland
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Functional Physical Competence Testing The
Challenges

• John Henderson
• Director of Physical Health Education
• Occupational Health Well-being September 2010

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Assaults on PSNI rise by 33 in just four
years (2,928 incidents)
I couldnt breathe. But he kept on kicking me
and punching me.
Its treated as a sport, says officer beaten up
by a drunk.
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What components combine to make up physical
fitness ?
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Speed
Power
Anaerobic Endurance
Motor skills
Coordination
Nutrition
Reaction Time
Flexibility
Aerobic Endurance
Strength
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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

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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
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PSNI Concept of Physical Competence Job-Related

1. Task Analysis
2. Identified Core Physical Competencies
3. Designed an assessment

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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.
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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

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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

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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.

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Physical activities most frequently recorded...
Lifting Stair-climbing Climbing Jumping
Crawling Pushing/Pulling Balancing Weaving C
arrying Dragging Running
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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
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• Insert file called PCA test in test box to open
  automatically

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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)
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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)

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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.

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Analysis of Key Parameters
1. Handle height. 2. Slide length. 3. Isokinetic
test speed. 4. Test standard.
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Handle Height(Operational Range)

• Xiphoid Process
• Sternal Notch.

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1.25
1.21
1.29
1.23
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1.21
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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
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26

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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.

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4. Push-Pull Test Standard
Statistic Mean Force in Kgf
Mean 40
SD 10
Min 25
Max 64
Percentile Rankings Percentile Rankings
95th 59
50th 40
5th 26
Recommended Standard 26 kgf Recommended Standard 26 kgf
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4. Circuit Test Standard
Statistic Circuit Time (s)
Mean 190
SD 21
Min 159
Max 259
Percentile Rankings Percentile Rankings
95th 163
50th 190
5th 223
Recommended Standard 3m 43s Recommended Standard 3m 43s
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IMPACT OF PCA

• Gender
• Age
• Stature

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What is the effect of height on circuit time ?
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What is the effect of weight on circuit time ?
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What is the effect of age on circuit time ?
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What is the effect of height on push-pull ability
?
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What is the effect of weight on push-pull ability
?
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What is the effect of age on push-pull ability ?
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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.

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EQUALITY LEGISLATION

• Test must be
• Job-Related (correspond to a real need)
• Inherent Activities
• Gender Neutral
• Cant Overtest or Undertest (appropriate
  necessary)

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LEGAL TERMS

• Remember Indirect discrimination is not illegal
• Applicant
• Respondent
• Justifiability
• Disparate Impact
• Proportionate to Need
• Intentionality

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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

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Disparate impact on females acceptable as it
justified
Legal Justification to apply a test

TRIBUNAL FINDINGS
X
Circuit Content Push/Pull Content Standard
Circuit time not sufficiently justified

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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 Lets
look at what the court said
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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Remember the old Chinese Proverb
.if you sit by the river bank long enough the
body of your enemy will float past
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