In Australia, rail medicals are crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of rail operations. Given the high responsibility and potential risks associated with working in the rail industry, medical assessments are necessary to confirm that workers are fit for their roles. The three levels of rail medicals are designed to address different aspects of fitness and health
Safety Critical Work/Workers (Category 1 or 2)
These are workers whose action or inaction may lead directly to a serious incident affecting the public or the
rail network. Their vigilance and attentiveness to their job is crucial, and they are therefore the main focus of
this Standard. These workers require health assessments to ensure ill health does not affect their vigilance
and attentiveness to the job, and therefore the safety of the public or the rail network. Safety Critical Workers’
tasks are distinguished from tasks that affect only individual worker safety.
Non-Safety Critical Work/Workers (Category 1 or 2)
These are workers whose action or inaction will not lead directly to a serious incident affecting the public or
the rail network. These workers require health assessments to ensure their own safety while working in or
around the network.
Track Safety Health Assessment (Category 3)
The Track Safety Health Assessment for ATTP (Category 3) focuses on medical conditions that could impact on a worker’s ability to detect and react quickly to an oncoming train or warnings. The assessment comprises eyesight and hearing tests, and an assessment to ensure safe mobility around the track, as well as a questionnaire to help identify any other serious conditions that could affect safety around the track.