Many of the jobs offered by public works agencies, occasionally or frequently, can be physically demanding. Your recruiter's job is to find someone who can fill the role and show up on time, willing, and able to perform the duties of that job to the best of their ability. While they aim to be an equal opportunity employer, they also want to avoid hiring someone who is overconfident in their abilities, and who may injure easily, resulting in attendance issues or worker compensation claims. This is the nature of this nuanced, carefully phrased question.

Federal law prohibits them from asking if you were previously injured on the job, or are disabled in any way. This is thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). "This law prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment, including the hiring process. An injury that results in a disability is covered by the ADA, so asking about past injuries could be seen as an attempt to gather information about a disability. It is illegal to ask job applicants about their medical history, including past injuries, unless the information is job-related and necessary to the operation of the business. In most states, an aggravation of a pre-existing injury is covered by workers' compensation. If you had no functional job restrictions due to your pre-existing injury prior to your new work-related accident, you are eligible for the same benefits as someone who was injured on the job for the first time."