Updated medical standards for rail workers

All rail workers will soon have a common set of health assessment arrangements, regardless of which state they work in, following the approval of updated rail safety worker medical standards.

Australia’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministers have unanimously approved updated rail safety worker medical standards to come into effect on 20 January 2013.

Loco Division Secretary Bob Hayden said the division is disappointed that the Body Mass Index (BMI) provisions have been included in the National Standards.

“We’re concerned about the impact the introduction of BMI testing will have on members,” Bob Hayden said.  “It’s disappointing that the has made its way into the National Standards. “

“The idea of using the BMI index to test drivers’ ability to work doesn’t make sense to the Division and we’ve made that very clear.”

Under law, rail transport operators must have a health and fitness program that complies with the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers.

See the full report here

What do you think of the new National Standards?