Rail Safety Workers Health Assessment is a requirement of the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers 2012, designed to ensure that rail workers are deemed healthy and fit in order to perform their job safely and protect themselves, the public, fellow workers and the rail network.

The requirements for rail safety worker health assessments are determined by a risk management approach. This aims to ensure the level and frequency of health assessments conducted is proportionate to the risk associated with the tasks performed by rail safety workers. 

The 2 main risk categories are: 

• Safety Critical Work/Workers
• Non-Safety Critical Work/Workers

Safety Critical Workers include those workers whose action or inaction may lead directly to a serious incident affecting the public or the rail network. Their roles are then further classified  as Category 1 or Category 2, depending on the potential risks associated with ill health.

Non-Safety Critical Workers are identified as those workers whose action (or inaction) will not directly impact or cause a serious incident affecting the public or the rail network. As a result, their health assessments are designed specifically to ensure their own safety while working in or around the rail network, and are referred to as Category 3.

Health assessment is required for Category 1 and Category 2 Safety Critical workers:

• at the time of commencement, then:
• every 5 years to age 50, then
• every 2 years to age 60, then
• every year

For Category 3 Non-Safety Critical workers, health assessment is required:

• at the time of commencement, then
• at 40 years of age, then
• every 5 years

Occuhealth's rail health assessments are performed by an Authorised Health Professional (AHP) under the National Rail Accreditation Scheme. For further information regarding rail safety worker health assessments, or to make a booking, contact Occuhealth on: