Non-Safety Critical Medicals

[kitcub]

Hi there, long time lurker here (worked in the industry for over 11yrs!) - just been offered a non safety-critical control-based job and been asked to accept the offer pending a medical assessment (my current TOC has an extremely lengthy notice period and won't budge on it).

I'm just a little concerned as obviously if I didn't pass my medical, that'd leave me without a job for either TOC and that's obviously not something I want! Have scoured the pages of the forum but all queries and info I can find pertain to Safety Critical medical assessments for Drivers, Conductors etc. Can anyone here advise what is actually covered by a non-Safety Crit medical assessment? My recruiting manager suggested "it's nothing to be concerned about, just the usual drugs and alcohol screening" (which I have no concerns over at all) - but if they do cover more, I have a pre-existing heart condition (which I've had for over a decade, and is controlled under medication) and am diabetic (again controlled by tablet and diet) - and I guess I'm just concerned that whilst I have no other choice if I want this job (which I very much do!), I'm walking myself into a dead end with no way out - and I don't want my rail career to be over, it's so much more than just a job to me.

Just looking for some advice or information at least, I guess. Thank you in advance for your time and comments.

 

[E16 Cyclist]

When i first joined the railway as a buffet steward the medical was literally pee in a pot, so don’t overthink it and stress yourself out

 

[TheLastMinute]

The recent non safety critical medical I had was literally the OH person reviewing my medical history questionnaire and doing a dip test of urine.

 

[si_145653]

My partner had a non safety critical medical recently, was sent a pre screening questionnaire to declare any health issues (i had the same one for safety critical), on the day it was pee in a pot and done.

On the pre screening questionnaire you should declare the heart condition but there is usually a space to say how long you have had it and that its controlled by meds. I had the same with a thyroid issue and it wasnt raised at the medical at all.

 

[bouff34]

Hi there, long time lurker here (worked in the industry for over 11yrs!) - just been offered a non safety-critical control-based job and been asked to accept the offer pending a medical assessment (my current TOC has an extremely lengthy notice period and won't budge on it).

I'm just a little concerned as obviously if I didn't pass my medical, that'd leave me without a job for either TOC and that's obviously not something I want! Have scoured the pages of the forum but all queries and info I can find pertain to Safety Critical medical assessments for Drivers, Conductors etc. Can anyone here advise what is actually covered by a non-Safety Crit medical assessment? My recruiting manager suggested "it's nothing to be concerned about, just the usual drugs and alcohol screening" (which I have no concerns over at all) - but if they do cover more, I have a pre-existing heart condition (which I've had for over a decade, and is controlled under medication) and am diabetic (again controlled by tablet and diet) - and I guess I'm just concerned that whilst I have no other choice if I want this job (which I very much do!), I'm walking myself into a dead end with no way out - and I don't want my rail career to be over, it's so much more than just a job to me.

Just looking for some advice or information at least, I guess. Thank you in advance for your time and comments.

So don't hand your notice in until you have confirmation you have passed the medical and have a start date??

 

[kitcub]

So don't hand your notice in until you have confirmation you have passed the medical and have a start date??

If only it were that straightforward. The new employer won't wait the 5-6 weeks it may take for them to get a medical appointment plus the 12 weeks of notice my current employer works to (and won't budge on)...

 

[TheLastMinute]

If only it were that straightforward. The new employer won't wait the 5-6 weeks it may take for them to get a medical appointment plus the 12 weeks of notice my current employer works to (and won't budge on)...

That's a pain and, frankly, more than a little unfair by the new employer to expect you to risk your livelihood. At the TOC I start with next week, passing the medical came before the unconditional offer and agreeing a start date.

If it were me, I'd be seriously questioning if I wanted to work for such an organisation.

 

[Horizon22]

It's non safety-critical, so won't probably be much more than drugs and alcohol and a medical history questionnaire. Even a safety-critical isn't normally a major issue, and there are people with diabetes in those roles. So long as all your conditions are under medical control, that will be the only concern.