Medicals

[david_VI]

Haha identical to my husband! Guitar too loud for years! Don't think he has hearing loss but I wouldn't know about passing a medical

 

[ultra4]

As far as I am concerned, hearing requirements have been lowered recently following studies. Maximum allowed hearing loss used to be 30dB across all frequencies. Now it is 40dB - lower frequencies and 45 dB - higher frequency.
Study showed that rail industry would save millions of pounds, would not be loosing so many well performing, experienced employees. Even if they would have to cover costs of hearing aids (which now are digital and more sophisticated etc), it is still worth it.

quote from: http://www.rssb.co.uk/sitecollectiondocuments/pdf/reports/research/T664_rpt_final.pdf

"1 The guidelines in GO/RC3561, introduced in August 2008,
are that hearing loss for train drivers, dispatchers
and shunters should not exceed 40dB at frequencies of 0.5 and 1kHz and 45dB at 2 kHz for the ear with the
worst air conduction of sound. Prior to this, the re
quirement for all track and train staff was 30dB averaged
across the three frequencies"
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
and quote from: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32007L0059:EN:NOT


"1.3. Hearing and speaking requirements

Sufficient hearing confirmed by an audiogram, i.e.:

- hearing good enough to hold a phone conversation and to be able to hear warning sounds and radio messages.

The following values should be taken as guidelines:

- the hearing deficiency must not be higher than 40 dB at 500 and 1 000 Hz,

- the hearing deficiency must not be higher than 45 dB at 2000 Hz for the ear with the worst air conduction of sound,

- no anomaly of the vestibular system,

- no chronic speech disorder (given the necessity to exchange messages loudly and clearly),

- the use of hearing aids is allowed in special cases.
"

Therefore the requirements are the same within EU.

 

[Emilymay86]

Let's hope we both get the job so we can form a band!

haha I can tell you now he would love that!

 

[muz379]

Had my medical with northern yesterday at the serco occupational health centre in manchester . Anybody thats got one coming up there dont worry about it the women is so nice .
Basically went in filled out a load of forms signed various consents for the different tests they where going to do .

Then As soon as I went in the room with the occupational therapist she asked me if I needed the toilet cos I did (drunk loads of water that morning to make sure I could provide ) so we went to the toilet and got the urine sample out of the way to start with , put the samples in the 2 pots to provide for drug testing and tested it with a dipstick to make sure everything else was ok no sign of diabetes or anything .

After that it was back to the office where we signed the various documents for the sample chain of custody paperwork and then she checked my id etc .

After this I took the breathtest , its just a handheld breathalyser like what the police use , blowed 0 no problem there .

After that she put the book to test color blindness on the table flicked through it and got me to read a few of the patterns in the circles .


After that into the booth for the hearing test , as someone who has never had a hearing test it was a weird sensation sat in a room with absoloutly no sound, and then when the headphones go on it becomes really surreal and you will start thinking you can hear things . My advice for the hearing test is when your in the booth close your eyes as much as you can because that will heighten your sense of hearing but also you dont get distracted by what is going on outside the room .

After you step out of the booth you get the eye test out of the way just a standard opticians board and you stand on the other side of the room to read it , first with both eyes then covering each one at a time . If you have been advised by an optician to wear glasses for anything this is the time to say and if necessary check your eyes with and without them . I meet the required standards without mine so wont need to wear them or even have them with me but was advised keeping them on me in case I get a headache or start to strain my eyes

after the eye test it was time to be weighed and measured height wise-nothing much to say about that

Then she sat me down for a few minutes to take blood pressure and look inside my ears with the oroscope .

Then the last part was to stand up and carry out various movements , be it bending over , catching your legs behind you , rocking backwards on your heels and ball of the foot , drawing circles with your arm .just to check for no musculoskeletal problems /

After this we sat down whilst she completed all the paperwork , worked out my bmi and discussed the results of the hearing test with me .

Got told off/given advice because my bmi is high and there is a risk that if I dont manage it and watch what I eat I could end up developing type 2 diabetes which I already knew about ,
After that she signed me off on all of the tests carried out and said assuming drug test results come back fine which takes 5 working days she would have no problem informing HR that I was fit for the role .

 

[Timpg]

Had my medical last Thursday and I was a nervous wreck as a start date was riding on me passing, throughout the hearing test I could hear my heart beating like mad making it more difficult

 

[muz379]

i was bricking it as well , have already finished and handed notice in at my other job because i wasn't given enough notice between medical and start date . Would of ended up jobless if the med had gone wrong .

 

[Timpg]

Well I suppose I was fairly lucky in that freightliner wouldn't give me a start date until they had my medical results. Although they accidentally sent out a form to my previous employer asking for a reference before I had the results in, that kinda let the cat out of the bag. But luckily my previous employer already knew I was on the search for new employment. But everything worked out in the end and I'm just excited to start now

 

[Sunday_mornin]

What ID did you guys take with you to the medical? My letter states that I need to take my passport, which is fine but it expired in July last year. Now this passport has been presented as ID (in its expired state) to my DM interview and both parts of the assessments with no problems.

Any thoughts?

 

[Timpg]

I just took my drivers licence and my national insurance card.

 

[MrsSundayMorn]

Was that for a Northern Medical?

 

[muz379]

What ID did you guys take with you to the medical? My letter states that I need to take my passport, which is fine but it expired in July last year. Now this passport has been presented as ID (in its expired state) to my DM interview and both parts of the assessments with no problems.

Any thoughts?

I took my currently valid passport as per the letter I got from Northern,
Personally id say you wouldn't have a problem with an expired passport cos mine wasn't checked in enough detail to establish weather it was valid or not just the same as with the dm interview and assessment .TBH it is probably more important/likely it would have been an issue at the dm interview because in theory if your passport isnt valid they dont actually know about your status with regards to right to work in the UK

Additionally on the chain of custody form which is the form my id needed to be checked to complete there is a box to check that the id document checked was a passport or a driving license so I'd be willing to bet that a driving license would also be an accepted form of ID .

Take both I doubt that they could reasonably suspect that you aren't who you say you are then .

 

[Sunday_mornin]

I took my currently valid passport as per the letter I got from Northern,
Personally id say you wouldn't have a problem with an expired passport cos mine wasn't checked in enough detail to establish weather it was valid or not just the same as with the dm interview and assessment .TBH it is probably more important/likely it would have been an issue at the dm interview because in theory if your passport isnt valid they dont actually know about your status with regards to right to work in the UK

Additionally on the chain of custody form which is the form my id needed to be checked to complete there is a box to check that the id document checked was a passport or a driving license so I'd be willing to bet that a driving license would also be an accepted form of ID .

Take both I doubt that they could reasonably suspect that you aren't who you say you are then .

Cheers mate, that has put any doubts I had at ease. Surely at this late stage the ID is purely used to make sure the person sitting the medical is correct, rather than proving any Right to Work. Incidentally I pointed out the expiration date of my Passport at my DM interview and it was still accepted.
Like you say I'll take my Drivers License plus anything else I can think of as back up.

Thanks for your help.

 

[muz379]

Cheers mate, that has put any doubts I had at ease. Surely at this late stage the ID is purely used to make sure the person sitting the medical is correct, rather than proving any Right to Work. Incidentally I pointed out the expiration date of my Passport at my DM interview and it was still accepted.
Like you say I'll take my Drivers License plus anything else I can think of as back up.

Thanks for your help.

yeah all its for is to check your identity so a driving license and a passport serve the same purpose . A DL is better anyway because it serves as proof of address as well

 

[Timpg]

National insurance number as well mate! All the best!

 

[Sunday_mornin]

National insurance number as well mate! All the best!

 

[James268]

First post!

I'm aspiring to be a driver with Northern (Manchester area), what is the extent of the colour blind test at the medical? Self testing has determined that I am not red-green colour blind, but I am (partially?) colour blind.

On this test: http://www.colour-blindness.com/colour-blindness-tests/ishihara-colour-test-plates/

I have no problems with upto and including plate 7. The rest I struggle with, getting around 50%. I seems I am colour blind but doesn't affect red/green vision.

With this impede me? I would hate to get as far as the medical and fail there.

 

[Marton]

Not sure about rail, but for seafarers the Ishihara plates are just a screen.

The definitive test is a Lantern Test which I understand mimics real life lights.

The only problem is the International Standard lanterns are so old that keeping them going is an issue. AFAIK they are only to be found in Southampton, Beverley and Aberdeen.

Logic suggests that rail should use a similar system as the needs are similar- signal lights.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[muz379]

National insurance number as well mate! All the best!

 

[Timpg]

I believe the national insurance number is important as I had to give consent for the medical examiner to look into my medical history, obviously I had to state any medical treatment/operations Iv had in the past. I also took an ibuprofen a few days before my med for a headache, I took the packet with me an disclosed that I had took one as I heard you can fail if you don't. Just covering myself, but I passed with no problems, I realy wound myself up thinking of worse case scenarios, but I soon realised that I had nothing to worry about, was in and out within 20minutes

 

[muz379]

I certainly didn't sign any consent forms for them to look into my med records and they cant look at them without your consent . ,Not that I would have a problem with them looking at my med records there isnt anything noteworthy in there anyway .

As for the color blindness test there where a few I didnt make out that this website has said I should have seen something on but they would be looking for a lasting pattern with the test not just the fact that you cant make out 1 or 2 number when you should be able to .

 

[winchmore]

I am currently taking a prescribed medication which the label says - may cause drowsiness. The medication has caused no side effects whatsoever but how will this be looked at in a medical? It would be a train dispatch medical - if I get that far.

 

[ringostarr]

Just been browsing this thread and was very interested at the various things you get checked for.
If you have diabetes (type 1) is this a total no go in the industry?
is colour blindness a total no go?
Would they knock you back for a high BMI?
The above are just questions I am curious about, As far as I'm aware I'm fully fit and ready to go.
Im not in the industry as yet but hope to be so in the near future.
Thanks guys

 

[muz379]

Just been browsing this thread and was very interested at the various things you get checked for.
If you have diabetes (type 1) is this a total no go in the industry?
is colour blindness a total no go?
Would they knock you back for a high BMI?
The above are just questions I am curious about, As far as I'm aware I'm fully fit and ready to go.
Im not in the industry as yet but hope to be so in the near future.
Thanks guys

With regards to safety critical work
Colour blindness is a no no

With diabetes type 1 or 2 its down your management of it and you have to come to some agreement with your employer/the occupational therapist as to adjustments that need to made to make sure that safety is not compromised . So as long as you can manage your diabetes which shouldn't be a problem in this day and age you will still be able to carry out safety critical work .

High bmi doesn't automatically exclude you , BMI is quite a backwards measurement anyway because a bodybuilder with tons of muscle and a fat beer monster with a big beer belly would have the same bmi but obviously one is healthier than the other .

the only way having a high bmi would cause you problems is if it effected your mobility or if it led to other conditions such as extremely high blood pressure or heart problems .

 

[ringostarr]

Thanks for that quick response.
what type of jobs fall into the safety critical list and none safety critical list?
A friend of mine says all jobs in rail are safety critical, is this the case as I disagree with her. not that im an expert like
cheers

 

[muz379]

Thanks for that quick response.
what type of jobs fall into the safety critical list and none safety critical list?
A friend of mine says all jobs in rail are safety critical, is this the case as I disagree with her. not that im an expert like
cheers

Driver and Guard(conductor, train manager etc)
On the platform you've got any platform staff who do dispatch .
And then anyone working on or around the track has to have a medical to get a pts

There are some jobs in the rail industry that aren't safety critical , such as the gateline operators , Station customer service staff (as long as they dont dispatch trains ) ticket office staff , revenue protection inspectors are also no safety critical .

 

[Emilymay86]

Should my husband be worries that he has a nasty cold and possible throat infection when his medical is tomorrow??

I'm assuming not as this is clearly a short term illness but he is worried! Medical isfor trainee train driver x

Thanks

 

[stevienash]

Hi, was wondering if this has happened to anyone before?

Last summer I got a border line pass on my hearing and the fact i wore a hearing aid i got turned down for a trainee conductor role with ATW.

Now I have had my yearly appointment at the hospital and my hearing has improved and i no longer wear a hearing aid (the ex wife insisted i wore one - long story).

I've emailed ATW with my latest results and told them i don't wear a hearing aid anymore, reckon this might help as my original application says on hold

 

[ultra4]

I wish you all the best.

Also I don't quite agree on hearing requirements. Why is it not treated same as vision, where you need to meet criteria with both unaided and aided eyes.
In this day and age with digital hearing aid more sophisticated than ever TOC or RSSB should review their policies and take above into consideration.

Hi, was wondering if this has happened to anyone before?

Last summer I got a border line pass on my hearing and the fact i wore a hearing aid i got turned down for a trainee conductor role with ATW.

Now I have had my yearly appointment at the hospital and my hearing has improved and i no longer wear a hearing aid (the ex wife insisted i wore one - long story).

I've emailed ATW with my latest results and told them i don't wear a hearing aid anymore, reckon this might help as my original application says on hold

 

[stevienash]

I wish you all the best.

Also I don't quite agree on hearing requirements. Why is it not treated same as vision, where you need to meet criteria with both unaided and aided eyes.
In this day and age with digital hearing aid more sophisticated than ever TOC or RSSB should review their policies and take above into consideration.

I know someone who wears glasses can be accepted but a person who wears a hearing aid can't?

 

[greatkingrat]

I guess it is because a hearing aid is more likely to malfunction in some way (eg batteries going dead) than a pair of glasses is.