In comparison to other countries, British law is not quite as harsh when it comes to medical examinations. They are, of course, needed, but nowhere near that frequently. That being said, this is only what the law states. Responsible trucking companies will have their staff checked-over on a far more frequent basis.
All firms operating heavy good vehicles in the United Kingdom have a responsibility to other drivers on the roads. They have to ensure that their staff are at peak fitness at all times. After all, the smallest slip-up from a driver can result in a rather huge accident.
At the moment, the Health and Safety Executive recommends that all drivers undergo a health check before they are hired. This is at any age, even if they are a new licence holder. The law also states that truckers, who will be operating under a ‘Group 2’ licence, will need a medical examination every five years from the age of 45 in order to renew their licence. From the age of 65, this examination will need to take place once every year. That is just the law though. The Health and Safety Executive states that in some circumstances, drivers should be inspected a great deal more frequently than this.
If a worker is off sick for more than a month, or perhaps less than a month if their sickness severely hampered their driving ability, then they should undergo a workplace health assessment to ensure that they are still capable of operating a HGV. This will just provide confirmation that the worker is more than capable of returning to work. The last thing you want to do is take any risks with your drivers on the roads, particularly when they are operating a large vehicle.
It is worth noting that a GP will, in most cases after a long illness, sign a sheet of paper which states that the employee is ready to go back to work. However, this piece of paper is not a confirmation that they are ready to operate a large vehicle again. You will need a new assessment for that. Trucking firms can’t rely on the information provided by the doctor unless the doctor expressly states that the employee is ready to operate a vehicle again.
If the driver is starting a new course of medication for the ‘long term’ then they should always ask the doctor as to whether the medication has the ability to hamper their ability to drive. In many cases, it will do. These people will not need to undergo a medical examination. They should, instead, be taken out of operation whilst they are using this medication. When they are ready to work, if they are ever able to do so, then they should again, undergo a medical fitness test to ensure that they are capable of returning to work.
In short, when you work in the trucking industry, you should never be too careful when it comes to medical examinations. Sure, at a young age you can get away with not undergoing them all that frequently. However, later on, you will want to ensure that your drivers undergo regular health checks to ensure that they are capable of driving safely on the roads.
