What is a Rail Workers Safety Medical?

A Rail Safety Workers Safety Medical is a medical specifically designed for rail safety workers. The Rail Safety Workers Medical forms part of the Transport (Rail Safety) Act 2010 which requires rail transport operators to have and implement a health and fitness management program.

There are three different types of Rail Workers Safety Medicals. Each of the three types of assessments are based upon whether the employee is performing safety critical or non-safety critical work.

The three Rail Workers Safety Medicals are:

• Category 1: Applies to rail safety workers who perform safety critical work and whose ill health may result in sudden incapacity or collapse leading to a serious incident affecting public safety or the rail network.
• Category 2: Applies to rail safety workers who perform safety critical work where sudden incapacity will not impact on the safety of the public or the rail network.
• Category 3: Applies to rail safety workers who perform non-safety critical work and whose health and fitness does not impact directly on the rail network. However, they are required to protect their own safety and that of other rail workers.

Rail Category Medicals require the following assessments:

Category 1 Rail Workers Safety Medical

• Audiometry
• Vision Testing
• Musculoskeletal Screen
• Medical History
• Medical Examination
• ECG
• Fasting Lipid Profile (blood test)
• Fasting Blood Glucose (blood test for diabetics)

Categories 2  Rail Workers Safety Medical

• Audiometry
• Vision Testing
• Musculoskeletal Screen
• Medical History
• Medical Examination

Categories 3  Rail Workers Safety Medical

• Audiometry
• Vision Testing
• Musculoskeletal Screen
• Medical History