Rail safety medical assessments
Rail safety medical assessments
Working in the rail environment comes with unique safety-critical demands. At Cogent Thinking, we deliver tailored Rail Safety Medical Assessments through our national network, helping rail operators meet their regulatory obligations and keep their workforce fit, safe and compliant.
Why rail safety assessments matter
Under the Transport (Rail Safety) Act 2010 rail operators must implement a health-management program for workers whose ill-health could compromise public safety or the rail network. According to the Act, there are three categories of rail medicals depending on job risk:
- Category 1: safety-critical roles where sudden incapacity may affect public safety or the network.
- Category 2: safety-critical roles where sudden incapacity will not impact public safety or the network.
- Category 3: non-safety-critical work, where health and fitness impact the worker and colleagues but not directly the network.
These assessments help you proactively manage risk, align with compliance frameworks and maintain workforce readiness.
What the assessment includes
Each rail safety medical is customised to the role-category and risk profile. Typical components include:
- Full medical history and symptom review
- Vision (including acuity, field, colour) and hearing screening
- Cardiovascular and respiratory evaluation
- Musculoskeletal screening for mobility, strength and endurance
- Drug & alcohol screening (as required)
- Fitness-for-duty certification by an appropriate medical practitioner
How it works
Referral
We receive your roster or candidate list and role-category assignment.
Booking
Candidates self-book via our portal at a clinic location convenient to them.
Assessment
Conducted by Cogent’s network practitioners with audit-ready documentation.
Results
Outcomes are uploaded securely to our portal (medEbridge) for rapid access.
Management & Reporting
We deliver aggregated data and insights if required to monitor health-management obligations and workforce trends.
Why choose Cogent Thinking
- National network covering 300+ clinic locations with the flexibility to scale.
- Dedicated clinical governance, with senior oversight and audit-ready processes.
- Rapid turnaround, streamlined bookings and a secure online portal for referrals and results.
- Deep experience in safety-critical workforces and a flexible program model to fit your rail operations.
- Partner-led service: tailored workflows, dedicated account support and consolidated reporting.
Get in touch
Talk to our team today about how we can build or refine a Fitness for Duty assessment program that supports your workforce and protects your operations.