Australia National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers 2024 3.1: Appointments, consultation and documentation: assessments are conducted in person, with telemedicine excluded except where an exemption under section 203 or 203A of the Rail Safety National Law allows it (telemedicine may assist specialist opinion and teleaudiology may be used in defined circumstances); the health professional assesses only with the Request and Report Form and Record for Health Professional supplied by the operator and the supporting information, never initiating the forms, and may seek further information consistent with privacy; workers bring the completed questionnaire, medications, aids worn at work, available reports and photo ID

What does 3.1 require?

The rail transport operator notifies the worker and either party may make the appointment. Except in very limited circumstances health assessments must be conducted in person; telemedicine must not be used for assessments prescribed under the Standard unless specifically allowed by an exemption under section 203 or 203A of the Rail Safety National Law, for example in a pandemic, although it may facilitate access to specialist opinion for Fit for Duty Subject to Review assessments by agreement with the Authorised Health Professional, and teleaudiology may be used for hearing testing in the circumstances the hearing chapter describes. Before the appointment the operator forwards the Request and Report Form, indicating the job, category, assessment type, task-specific hearing, colour vision and musculoskeletal requirements and tests, and the Record for Health Professional, together with the previous health assessment report and supporting information such as sick leave and workers' compensation summaries, notifiable incident history and any positive or self-declared drug or alcohol result; the Authorised Health Professional does not assess without the forms and does not initiate them, and may seek further information from the operator or previous health professionals consistent with privacy. For Pre-placement and Periodic assessments the worker brings the completed Health Questionnaire, all current medications or a list, corrective lenses and hearing aids worn at work, available or requested medical reports and photo identification; for triggered assessments the questionnaire may not be needed.