Laser eye surgery and driving

[onionjoe76]

Hi, I know in the past that having had laser eye surgery and driving was a no no. Has this changed at all? Is it TOC specific? If so, does anyone know what Scotrails rules on it are as they are recruiting trainee drivers again.

Years ago, I spent 8 months going through FSR's recruitment process (for another role, not driving, which I ended up not getting anway) but I don't want to waste my time if ultimately I will fail a medical because I've had it done.

Any info would be appreciated.

 

[warriorofrovac]

Laser Eye Surgery + Driving = No.

 

[onionjoe76]

Thanks. I thought as much, was just hoping that there had been a quiet rule change on it. Oh well.

 

[driver9000]

I have been told by my TOC that the RSSB now permit PRK,LASIK and LASEK.

Page 10 (appenedix A) of this document may be of help:

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Railway_... Management/Guidance Notes/GOGN3655 Iss 1.pdf

Also page 15 (appendix B) of this document:

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Railway_...nagement/Codes of Practice/GORC3561 Iss 3.pdf

 

[onionjoe76]

I have been told by my TOC that the RSSB now permit PRK,LASIK and LASEK.

Page 10 (appenedix A) of this document may be of help:

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Railway_... Management/Guidance Notes/GOGN3655 Iss 1.pdf

Also page 15 (appendix B) of this document:

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Railway_...nagement/Codes of Practice/GORC3561 Iss 3.pdf

Thanks, I`ll have a look at these docs then.

 

[driver9000]

Sorry I should have said page 10/15 onwards....

Hope they are of use.

 

[goldsounds]

Does this also apply to people that wear glasses as well?

 

[Harbon 1]

is it still a no-no if you have a lazy eye?

 

[Liam86]

You are allowed to wear glasses as long as you reach the standard required wearing them.

 

[martin2345uk]

The northern rail app said you have to attain the required standard both with and without your glasses. Might struggle with that...!!

 

[LCC106]

As mentioned above, certain types of eye surgery may be accepted. Best to check with the TOC first. However, during HR induction at my TOC they said that if it was something you were CONSIDERING having done you should discuss it with HR first. It's something to do with the fact that the extent of success can't be tested for I think - haven't checked the links above so forgive me if I'm repeating what's in the reports...

 

[Benbow]

If it helps the SWT line in this is:

"Applicants who have previously undergone laser eye surgery will be subject to additional investigations before fitness to drive trains can be confirmed - please contact the occupational health department for further information."

 

[thedbdiboy]

As with other areas of technology, Laser Eye Surgery has progressed beyond experimental to being routine, and therefore as shown above, no longer automatically disbars you. The rules and/or additional tests are designed to ensure that any of the known potential side effects are not adversely affecting your vision.

 

[4SRKT]

Having laser eye surgury whilst driving is shurely a no-no.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

I must admit I would be surprised if it would be a bar to application these days. I work in an opticians and while there are some cases where the surgery has gone wrong, these are usually identified immediately - after a month or so the vision is usually as it is going to be and obviously with the usual testing there should be no difference between someone who has had LASEK and an emmetrope.

 

[LCC106]

Having laser eye surgury whilst driving is shurely a no-no.

As I understand it, if you discuss with your employer the want to have eye laser surgery, they will discuss all the implications. As long as it is an approved form of the surgery, the (almost) worst that could happen would maybe be that any leave taken was unpaid with the understanding that this would be the case until good eyesight was proven. Of course, I don't work in HR in a TOC and may well be very wrong... and if good eyesight isn't proven you may well lose your job on capability grounds. As I say though, best to discuss with the TOC.