Colour blind - Northern trains dispatch

[JeffManchester]

Hi,

Last year I failed the medical for Conductor at Northern as they found out I was colour blind (I didn't realise I was!!!). Obvs, j was unsuccessful .

I have since applied for the despatch job as the ad didn't mention colour blind, unlike the Conductor one.

I contacted them as they have invited me for an interview. Their reply is that the medical will be "similar" to the Conductor one, but they will leave it up to me to decide if I still want to proceed!!!!

I don't get why they would say that if it's an automatic fail again.

Any advice??

 

[221129]

It will be an automatic fail. The eyesight standards are identical to a conductor.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What alternative career opportunities remain on the railway for someone, such as the OP, with colour blindness?

 

[scouseyb123]

Course its going to be a fail. As you might attempt to dispatch the train against a red when you think its a green?

 

[DriverEight]

The reason it's being left up to you is because they don't know anything about your condition. Every medical condition can change over time. Some are only temporary, some improve or get worse on their own, some can improve with treatment. They don't know it will be an automatic fail, so they won't make the decision for you.

The question is, do you want to go through the whole process based on the probability that you'll fail, or are you willing to try for the slim chance of a pass because you want the job so badly?

Incidentally, there's a company called Enchroma that sells glasses that claim to help with some colour blindness symptoms, but whether these actually work is debatable. And whether the railway would accept them is unknown

 

[221129]

What alternative career opportunities remain on the railway for someone, such as the OP, with colour blindness?

Anything Non safety critical.

 

[221129]

Tea trolly??

Most (if not all) catering jobs, ticket office, most office roles, revenue protection, gateline etc

 

[16.19]

Sadly it would be a fail. Is there any other direction you would like to take on the Railway that’s not safety critical?

 

[JeffManchester]

Course its going to be a fail. As you might attempt to dispatch the train against a red when you think its a green?

Absolutely absurd comment. Just because a test says there is an issue, don't want mean I can't tell the difference between and red & a green signal. Colour blindness has a VERY broad spectrum and I know my limitations.......

 

[scouseyb123]

Absolutely absurd comment. Just because a test says there is an issue, don't want mean I can't tell the difference between and red & a green signal. Colour blindness has a VERY broad spectrum and I know my limitations.......

doubt a TOC is going to take any risks, not even a slight one if it risks compromising safety.

 

[AAA]

Hi,

Last year I failed the medical for Conductor at Northern as they found out I was colour blind (I didn't realise I was!!!). Obvs, j was unsuccessful .

I have since applied for the despatch job as the ad didn't mention colour blind, unlike the Conductor one.

I contacted them as they have invited me for an interview. Their reply is that the medical will be "similar" to the Conductor one, but they will leave it up to me to decide if I still want to proceed!!!!

I don't get why they would say that if it's an automatic fail again.

Any advice??

Sorry to jump on your thread jeff but I am waiting to here about a medical for a Conductor position and was told I have mild colour blindness (borderline) so not sure if I will pass when I get a medical, can I ask how the ishihara test worked? How many you could get wrong if any? How many you was tested on?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

There are degrees of colour blindness. A very few people can only see black, white, grey like old bw photos.

I am colour blind so I could not be a train driver, but I love colours and can distinguish very many, thousands? I understand people with better (normal?) colour vision can distinguish many more.

 

[craigybagel]

Absolutely absurd comment. Just because a test says there is an issue, don't want mean I can't tell the difference between and red & a green signal. Colour blindness has a VERY broad spectrum and I know my limitations.......

It'll come down to a very simple question I'm afraid - do you pass or fail an Isihara test. As it stands, that's the requirement for pretty much all safety critical roles, dispatcher included.

 

[skyhigh]

It'll come down to a very simple question I'm afraid - do you pass or fail an Isihara test. As it stands, that's the requirement for pretty much all safety critical roles, dispatcher included.

This. Signals appear various different shades depending on the make, style and age of the signal. With a safety critical role, they're not going to take chances.

 

[RHolmes]

Because of the closeness of the red/green colour spectrum it is highly likely that you would fail the colour blindness test sadly. The reason you would have failed for a conductor is that one of the important parts of the role is that it requires self-dispatching where you have to monitor signals, not forgetting that some of the new LED signals only have one bulb that changed to Red green or yellow unlike the older ones which you can see the position of the bulb like a traffic light.

The role probably closest to a conductor without this essential sight requirement would be a revenue protection officer or on-board host.

Other roles to consider might be:
- Gateline assistant
- Passenger assistant
- Ticket Office
- Presentation team
- Station security (network rail)
- Station management
- Control roles
- Signaller roles

 

[Devon Sunset]

I’ve been in the same boat myself. Can’t pass the Ishihara test for love nor money (best result 14/21), paid for the City University test and passed that to a level of being able to fly a plane, be an electrician but makes no difference to the railway. I’ve only got a minor problem and can distinguish colours easily until it comes to Ishihara. Corrective glasses are not acceptable either I’m afraid so best to look for a non safety critical role as others have said. Good luck.

 

[AAA]

I’ve been in the same boat myself. Can’t pass the Ishihara test for love nor money (best result 14/21), paid for the City University test and passed that to a level of being able to fly a plane, be an electrician but makes no difference to the railway. I’ve only got a minor problem and can distinguish colours easily until it comes to Ishihara. Corrective glasses are not acceptable either I’m afraid so best to look for a non safety critical role as others have said. Good luck.

How many out of 21 do you need to get correct?

 

[JeffManchester]

Sorry to jump on your thread jeff but I am waiting to here about a medical for a Conductor position and was told I have mild colour blindness (borderline) so not sure if I will pass when I get a medical, can I ask how the ishihara test worked? How many you could get wrong if any? How many you was tested on?

Hi. In not sure what the pass rate was. She tested me on about 20+ I'd say. She was absolutely vile. I didn't know I was colour blind and she made out that I did but was changing my arm. Thankfully, Northern & Medigold took my official complaint seriously.

Because of the closeness of the red/green colour spectrum it is highly likely that you would fail the colour blindness test sadly. The reason you would have failed for a conductor is that one of the important parts of the role is that it requires self-dispatching where you have to monitor signals, not forgetting that some of the new LED signals only have one bulb that changed to Red green or yellow unlike the older ones which you can see the position of the bulb like a traffic light.

The role probably closest to a conductor without this essential sight requirement would be a revenue protection officer or on-board host.

Other roles to consider might be:
- Gateline assistant
- Passenger assistant
- Ticket Office
- Presentation team
- Station security (network rail)
- Station management
- Control roles
- Signaller roles

Thank you.

I’ve been in the same boat myself. Can’t pass the Ishihara test for love nor money (best result 14/21), paid for the City University test and passed that to a level of being able to fly a plane, be an electrician but makes no difference to the railway. I’ve only got a minor problem and can distinguish colours easily until it comes to Ishihara. Corrective glasses are not acceptable either I’m afraid so best to look for a non safety critical role as others have said. Good luck.

Thank you.....

 

[Devon Sunset]

I was told minimum they would consider is 18/21 but even that was pushing it.

 

[185]

Hello. The application form didn't ask for colour blindness, as it remembers your original pre-screening colour blindness answer from the previous application (at the start).

Would advise deleting and doing a new application from scratch.

 

[1ab]

Please can someone tell me how this test is carried out? Do you use both eyes or have to swap or cover eyes up throughout this test? What about if you wear glasses?

 

[scrapy]

Test is done using both eyes. If you wear glasses normally, you can continue to wear them during the test.

 

[1ab]

Test is done using both eyes. If you wear glasses normally, you can continue to wear them during the test.

Thanks scrapy

 

[voyagerdude220]

Absolutely absurd comment. Just because a test says there is an issue, don't want mean I can't tell the difference between and red & a green signal. Colour blindness has a VERY broad spectrum and I know my limitations.......

The comment you're referring to is anything but absurd (IMO).

Where job roles are safety critical, why would a TOC take a risk by employing you, when you have problems with your colour blindness?

When despatching a train, you are responsible for the safety of everyone associated with that train- Of course there will be set regulations etc. which define what TOCs see as being safe.