Category 3 Rail Medicals
The National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers sets the requirements for conducting rail safety workers’ health assessments in Australia and is reviewed by the National Transport Commission every three years.
The Standard was developed in consultation with industry, rail safety regulators, rail workers unions and health professionals and provides practical guidelines for rail transport operators to manage the risks associated with rail workers’ health issues.
Rail Safety Worker Medicals are a legal requirement under the Standard and must be performed in accordance with the Standard. Doctors and health professionals require accreditation from rail operators to conduct Rail Safety Worker Medical assessments, to ensure they are properly skilled and competent to assess the physical and mental health of the worker, relative to the nature of the worker’s role and risk categorisation.
Category 3 Rail Medicals
CAT 3 Rail Medicals, also known as Track Safety Health Assessments, evaluate the hearing, vision and musculoskeletal capacity of Category 3 rail safety workers, i.e., those who work on or near the track but not in a Controlled Environment.
These medicals are designed to evaluate a worker’s ability to adequately sense oncoming trains and provide assurance that the worker possesses adequate mobility and cognitive function to enable them to rapidly remove themselves from the path of an oncoming train and reach a position of safety in the event of an emergency.
It is a legal requirement under the Standard that CAT 3 Rail Safety Worker Medicals be periodically undertaken:
- Before entering employment and/or changing to a position involving tasks of a higher risk category
- At age 40
- Every five years from age 40 onwards
The frequencies mandated by the Standard are a minimum requirement and rail transport operators may elect to conduct more frequent periodic health assessments, according to the identified needs of both the rail transport operator and the individual worker.
How can Hayden Health & Safety help you meet your CAT 3 Rail Safety Worker Medical assessment needs?
Hayden Health & Safety is fully accredited to conduct CAT 3 Rail Medicals and offer a discrete, efficient, and non-disruptive testing solution to ensure your Category 3 rail safety workers are fit for duty and don’t pose a risk to themselves and others.
The CAT 3 assessments conducted by Hayden Health & Safety assess the hearing, vision and physical capacity of Category 3 rail safety workers, giving employers the ability to establish base levels of auditory, visual and musculoskeletal function for prospective or current employees, monitor employees’ fitness for duty over time, and identify any potential hazards, issues or liabilities before they become problematic.
Hayden Health & Safety can conduct Rail Safety Worker Medicals as part of pre-employment health assessment processes, or periodically, in line with your organisation’s policies and procedures or identified needs.
Our specially designed, fully contained mobile testing vehicle can visit your site anywhere in NSW and conduct testing in a systematic way that enables your business to continue to operate with minimal disruption. Alternatively, your workers can be sent for testing at our office, conveniently located in Cardiff NSW.
What is included in a Hayden Health & Safety CAT 3 Rail Safety Worker Medical?
The CAT 3 Rail Medical assessments conducted by Hayden Health & Safety assess a Category 3 worker’s fitness for duty, based on their risk categorisation, and includes:
- Audiometric assessment
- Visual acuity and visual field testing
- Musculoskeletal assessment
- Drug and alcohol testing
Our CAT 3 Rail Safety Worker Medical assessments can be combined with any of the testing services offered by Hayden Health & Safety, with testing programs being fully-customisable to your unique business requirements.
Where can you access more information on CAT 3 Rail Safety Worker Medicals?
For more information on the CAT 3 Rail Safety Worker Medical assessment process, or to arrange for a Hayden Health & Safety representative to contact you or meet with you to discuss your testing needs and work out an assessment program that suits your business, contact us today.