Working for MTR if you wear a hearing aid

[BW1990]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge or experience of being able to take up a safety critical role specifically with MTR if they wear a hearing aid?

I have recently failed a train movement medical (unsurprisingly as I was born with a hearing impairment in one of my ears) and I have been told by MTR I will no longer be eligible for the job despite the fact that I have a modern hearing aid which I would reach the medical standard with if they permitted me to wear it for the role. I know of people who work for other TOCs in more safety critical positions than this one who are allowed to use hearing aids so this is bizarre to me to lose a job with MTR based on something I know for a fact others elsewhere in the industry are allowed to do!
Surely I can’t be the only person with a hearing aid who MTR have offered a job to, has anyone else working for them been allowed adjustments like a hearing aid before?

 

[Twotwo]

What role was it for?

 

[Stigy]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge or experience of being able to take up a safety critical role specifically with MTR if they wear a hearing aid?

I have recently failed a train movement medical (unsurprisingly as I was born with a hearing impairment in one of my ears) and I have been told by MTR I will no longer be eligible for the job despite the fact that I have a modern hearing aid which I would reach the medical standard with if they permitted me to wear it for the role. I know of people who work for other TOCs in more safety critical positions than this one who are allowed to use hearing aids so this is bizarre to me to lose a job with MTR based on something I know for a fact others elsewhere in the industry are allowed to do!
Surely I can’t be the only person with a hearing aid who MTR have offered a job to, has anyone else working for them been allowed adjustments like a hearing aid before?

This very much depends on the TOC and the role to be honest. Certainly until recently, you couldn’t do most safety critical roles if you had a hearing aid. Times have moved on and technology dictates that it’s more reliable than it used to be, much the same as glasses and general vision requirements in many industries where previously you couldn’t apply if you wore glasses (like the Fire Service for example).

I know at SWR one is allowed to wear hearing aids for safety critical jobs as a whole, however I don’t think Drivers are allowed to have them, and you still have to meet a certain standard without them. It may be different if you have them fitted when you apply, rather than have had deteriorating hearing during employment and then have to have them fitted. If this is the case, they may have a certain standard of fitment required etc?

 

[BW1990]

What role was it for?

It was for a control room job which is the particularly gutting aspect of it as it wasn’t advertised as a safety critical post when I applied but I’ve been told by the company they are looking to go safety critical in the near future so that is the standard they are testing to.

 

[ComUtoR]

You are allowed to drive with a hearing aid.

 

[Stigy]

It was for a control room job which is the particularly gutting aspect of it as it wasn’t advertised as a safety critical post when I applied but I’ve been told by the company they are looking to go safety critical in the near future so that is the standard they are testing to.

I’m surprised that is classed as safety critical. I guess indirectly it could be if you’re involved in the movement of trains (even from a control room perspective- bit like signallers are).

 

[Twotwo]

It was for a control room job which is the particularly gutting aspect of it as it wasn’t advertised as a safety critical post when I applied but I’ve been told by the company they are looking to go safety critical in the near future so that is the standard they are testing to.

Wow, I’m really sorry to hear! Don’t really understand why it would be an issue in the control room. Hope you find something better.

 

[BW1990]

This very much depends on the TOC and the role to be honest. Certainly until recently, you couldn’t do most safety critical roles if you had a hearing aid. Times have moved on and technology dictates that it’s more reliable than it used to be, much the same as glasses and general vision requirements in many industries where previously you couldn’t apply if you wore glasses (like the Fire Service for example).

I know at SWR one is allowed to wear hearing aids for safety critical jobs as a whole, however I don’t think Drivers are allowed to have them, and you still have to meet a certain standard without them. It may be different if you have them fitted when you apply, rather than have had deteriorating hearing during employment and then have to have them fitted. If this is the case, they may have a certain standard of fitment required etc?

Yes, I’ve been reading around the standards and I asked at the medical too and was told that hearing aids are possible if they reach a certain fitment requirement but that your employer has to request a ‘hearing aid specific’ medical exam and you have to reach that benchmark to be deemed medically fit for the role.
But MTR are just outright telling me no at the moment and won’t allow me to be retested with my hearing aid. I can’t wrap my head around why it’s such a dealbreaker for them but maybe they’re just not as accommodating a TOC as SWR?

 

[Stigy]

Yes, I’ve been reading around the standards and I asked at the medical too and was told that hearing aids are possible if they reach a certain fitment requirement but that your employer has to request a ‘hearing aid specific’ medical exam and you have to reach that benchmark to be deemed medically fit for the role.
But MTR are just outright telling me no at the moment and won’t allow me to be retested with my hearing aid. I can’t wrap my head around why it’s such a dealbreaker for them but maybe they’re just not as accommodating a TOC as SWR?

I just think it’s still very specific to each TOC/FOC. I don’t think there’s an industry standard as such at the moment.

 

[dctraindriver]

This very much depends on the TOC and the role to be honest. Certainly until recently, you couldn’t do most safety critical roles if you had a hearing aid. Times have moved on and technology dictates that it’s more reliable than it used to be, much the same as glasses and general vision requirements in many industries where previously you couldn’t apply if you wore glasses (like the Fire Service for example).

I know at SWR one is allowed to wear hearing aids for safety critical jobs as a whole, however I don’t think Drivers are allowed to have them, and you still have to meet a certain standard without them. It may be different if you have them fitted when you apply, rather than have had deteriorating hearing during employment and then have to have them fitted. If this is the case, they may have a certain standard of fitment required etc?

SWR drivers can drive with hearing aids.