Job Summary: The non-certified technician will assist in patient care by providing technical support. The non-certified technician fabricates, repairs, and maintains orthotics and/or prosthetic devices. The non-certified technician performs current fabricating techniques as directed by clinical staff and is skilled in the use of appropriate equipment. The certified non- certified technician is allowed to assist in clinical procedures as individual skills allow and work flow requires provided competence is documented.

Essential Job Duties:

• Fabricates within the established treatment plan as directed by the clinician.

• Implementation of the fabrication requirements through application of physical data, modification and/or rectification of physical data, material selection, fabrication, structural evaluation, and component selection as directed by the clinician.

• Complies with practice management plans, policies, and procedures.

• Completes necessary competency requirements and enhances knowledge of current fabrication procedures.

• Ensure staff know and follow department and county safety and sound work practices and wear proper protective equipment; and observe and correct unsafe conditions and ensure employees are aware of safety procedures.

• Fabricates, fits, maintains, and repairs artificial limbs, plastic cosmetic appliances, braces, surgical supports, plaster casts, and other orthopedic or prosthetic devices, according to prescription specifications and under guidance of orthotist, orthotics assistant, prosthetist, or prosthetics assistant.

• Reads specifications to determine type of orthopedic device or prosthesis to be fabricated and materials and tools required.

• Lays out and marks dimensions of parts, using precision measuring instruments and templates.

• Drills and taps holes for rivets, rivets components, and screws, using drill press.

• Glues, welds, bolts, sews, and rivets parts together to form orthopedic devices or prostheses, such as braces and artificial limbs. Shapes plastic and metal around cast of patient's torso or limbs.

• Covers and pads metal or plastic brace structures, using layers of rubber, felt, plastic, and leather. Makes wax or plastic impression of patient's amputated area, prepares mold from impression, and pours molten plastic into mold to form cosmetic appliances, such as artificial ear, nose, or hand.

• Assembles layers of padding over prosthesis and fits and attaches outer covering, such as leather, sheet plastic, or fiberglass, over device, using sewing machine, rivet gun, and hand tools. Mixes pigments according to formula to duplicate skin coloring of patient and applies pigments to outer covering of prosthesis. Polishes finished device, using grinding and buffing wheels.

• Tests orthopedic device or prosthesis for freedom of movement, alignment of parts, and biomechanical stability, using plumbline, goniometer, and alignment fixtures. May harness prosthesis to patient's stump, applying knowledge of functional anatomy.

• May instruct patient in use of orthopedic device or prosthesis.
• Performs other duties as required.

Job Qualifications, Experience and Education:

1. Must be high school graduate or GED certified.

1. One year experience in the field of Orthotics/Prosthetics or related field preferred, not required.

Working Conditions/Physical and Mental Demands:

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls.

Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Duties require regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, reaching, carrying supplies and similar activities.

Bends, forms, welds, saws, carves, cuts, and grinds wood, plastic, metal, or fabric to fabricate parts, using hammers, anvils, welding equipment, saws and cutting machines, and hand cutting tools.

Duties require working with machinery including grinders, ovens, drill presses, and other machinery necessary to fabricate custom limbs and braces.

Performs work safely, without causing harm or creating risk to self, others, or property. Recognizes safety hazards and takes corrective action and seeks assistance when needed.

Duties require the employee to be able to lift. Medium-Heavy 75 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 35 pounds.