Washington Administrative Code › Title 388 - Social and Health Services, Department of › ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS › Chapter 388-447 - Housing and essential needs referral › Section 388-447-0080 - Progressive evaluation process step VI-How does the department determine the impact of a physical impairment on my ability to function in a work setting?

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
In Step VI of the progressive evaluation process (PEP), we
				  review the medical evidence provided and determine how your physical impairment
				  limits your ability to work. This determination is then used in Steps VII and
				  VIII of the PEP to determine your ability to perform either work you have done
				  in the past or other work available in the national economy.
(1) "Exertion level" means having strength,
				flexibility, and mobility to lift, carry, stand or walk as needed to fulfill
				job duties in the following work levels. For this section, "occasionally" means
				less than one third of the time and "frequently" means one third of the time or
				more.
The following table is used to determine your exertion level.
				  Included in this table is a strength factor, which represents your ability to
				  perform physical activities, as defined in Appendix C of the
Dictionary
				  of Occupational Titles
(DOT), Revised Edition, published by the U.S.
				  Department of Labor as posted on the Occupational Information Network
				  (O.*NET).
If you are able to:
Then we assign this exertion level
(a) Lift ten pounds maximum and frequently lift or carry
						  lightweight articles. Walking or standing only for brief periods.
Sedentary
(b) Lift twenty pounds maximum and frequently lift or
						  carry objects weighing up to ten pounds. Walk six out of eight hours per day or
						  stand during a significant portion of the workday. Sitting and using pushing or
						  pulling arm or leg movements most of the day.
Light
(c) Lift fifty pounds maximum and frequently lift or
						  carry up to twenty-five pounds.
Medium
(d) Lift one hundred pounds maximum and frequently lift
						  or carry up to fifty pounds.
Heavy
(2)
				"Exertional limitation" means a restriction in mobility, agility or flexibility
				in the following twelve activities: Balancing, bending, climbing, crawling,
				crouching, handling, kneeling, pulling, pushing, reaching, sitting, and
				stooping. We consider any exertional limitations you have when determining your
				ability to work.
(3) "Functional
				physical capacity" means the degree of strength, agility, flexibility, and
				mobility you can apply to work-related activities. We consider the effect of
				the physical impairment on the ability to perform work-related activities when
				the severity of the physical impairment is moderate, marked, or severe. All
				limitations must be substantiated by the medical evidence and directly related
				to the diagnosed impairment(s).
(4)
				"Non-exertional physical limitation" means a restriction on work activities
				that does not affect strength, mobility, agility, or flexibility. Examples are:
(a) Environmental restrictions which may
				include, among other things, your inability to work in an area where you would
				be exposed to chemicals; and
(b)
				Workplace restrictions, such as impaired hearing or speech, which would limit
				the types of work environments you could work in.