The medical checks that an employer needs to carry out on employees depends in general on the type of job and conditions that you are expecting them to work in, there is no set medical criteria for forklift truck drivers, so basic medical checks are sometimes sufficient, the advice of a GP should be sought for persons working in adverse conditions such as cold stores or chemical plants, and also for persons suffering from medical conditions such as diabetes or heart problems, likewise an optician should be consulted about the suitability of a person with visual disabilities.

As a training organisation we do not carry out any medical checks on trainees as we are not qualified to do this but we would refer from a training course anyone who has an obvious disability which we feel constitutes a safety risk, we have in the past successfully trained amputees, one eyed people, and persons with other disabilities, our principle is that we will train anyone who is able to competently undertake the course and operate the machine safely, but it would then be up to the employer or potential employer to ensure that they are safe to operate in the actual workplace.

Last updated on July 11, 2009 by Michael Pearce