far acuity
Defined by the Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs as clarity of vision at 20 feet or more. (Note: There is no physical demand component for rating clarity of vision in the middle distance of 20 inches to 20 feet.) In Part A of “Selected Characteristics of Occupations Defined” in the revised Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the rating for the far acuity component appears sixth in the second set of physical demand ratings under the vertical heading “FA.”
feeling
Defined by the Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs as perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture, by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips. In Part A of “Selected Characteristics of Occupations Defined” in the revised Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the rating for the feeling component appears first in the second set of physical demand ratings under the vertical heading “Fe.”
field of vision
Defined by the Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs as the area that can be seen up and down or to right or left while eyes are fixed on a given point. In Part A of “Selected Characteristics of Occupations Defined” in the revised Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the rating for the field of vision component appears last in the second set of physical demand ratings under the vertical heading “FV.”
fingering
Defined by the Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs as picking, pinching, or otherwise working primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling. In Part A of “Selected Characteristics of Occupations Defined” in the revised Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the rating for the fingering component appears tenth (last) in the first physical demand column under the vertical heading “Fi.”
force
Either external or internal. An external force can be defined as a force applied, voluntarily or involuntarily, to the surface of the body.
forearm/elbow
The elbow’s neutral posture is with the arm relaxed and the hands down. The highest force from the biceps can be obtained when the arm is nearly parallel to the ground. Awkward postures of the elbow include repetitive or sustained extreme elbow flexion and rapid or forceful rotation of the forearm, pronation (palm down) to supination (palm up).
functional capacity assessment (FCA)
See functional capacity evaluation
functional capacity evaluation (FCE)
An intensive short-term (usually one-day) evaluation that focuses on major physical tolerance abilities related to musculoskeletal strength, endurance, speed, and flexibility. Also known as a physical capacity evaluation (PCE), functional capacity assessment (FCA), work capacity evaluation (WCE), or informally as “functional testing.” FCE is not only a useful clinical tool, but also a baseline for industry-standard results that clearly define an individual’s transition from injury to employment, and from disability to deployment.
