Review of the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers

Project background

The Standard is used to assess medical conditions that may impact a rail safety worker’s ability to perform their duties safely.

We review the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers every three years.

During our recent review, the NTC considered stakeholder feedback and medical developments, so that the revised Standard incorporates the latest expertise and best practice, making it even more practical for users.

The revised Standard was approved by transport ministers in October 2024 and came into effect on 11 November 2024.

For more information on the Standard, please see the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers webpage.

Engagement

Since March 2022, we undertook extensive stakeholder engagement to identify, understand and resolve issues with the Standard, and explore opportunities for improvement.

The NTC established a Rail Health Advisory Group (RHAG) to consider proposals to amend the Standard. The RHAG included medical professionals, jurisdictions, rail regulators, unions and the rail industry.

The Chief Medical Officers Council (CMOC) was also a key contributor to the review.

Dedicated working groups were established to investigate and resolve specific medical issues. Seven groups were convened to focus on the following topics:

cardiovascular issues
diabetes
hearing
musculoskeletal
neurodevelopmental disorders
sleep disorders
vision.

Listening to subject matter experts

We also spoke to other medical subject matter experts to get advice on issues relevant to them including:

Audiology Australia
Australasian Sleep Association
Australian Psychological Society College of Clinical Neuropsychologists
Australian Diabetes Society
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Optometry Australia.

Public consultation

The NTC sought feedback from the public on the revised draft Standard in late 2022. In support of this a consultation report was provided. Submissions received are available here.

Consultation Report - Review of the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers

Published on 31 Oct 2022

We are seeking views on the draft revised National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers and questions in the accompanying consultation report.

Learn more

Closed on 12 Dec 2022

View submissions (5)