Train Drivers' Health Off The Rails
Illawarra Mercury
Monday October 1, 2007
ALMOST 40 per cent of train drivers are obese, and heart health risks are the biggest threat to their fitness on the job, a review of medical checks has revealed.
Stringent national health tests implemented in the wake of the Waterfall train crash have turned up higher than average rates of obesity, hypertension and smoking among those in charge of trains. In the first year of the checks, 12 per cent of almost 750 NSW train drivers were judged temporarily unfit to work, predominantly due to heart disease, diabetes and the sleep disorder, sleep apnoea. And 2.5 per cent were found to be permanently unfit. Obesity was a problem for 39.7 per cent of train drivers compared to 20 per cent of the general male population. Another 41 per cent were overweight, leaving just 19 per cent in a healthy weight range. The review, published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia, also found that 25 per cent smoked and 35 per cent had elevated cholesterol levels. And 44 per cent had hypertension, with more than 60 per cent of those getting treatment still suffering high blood pressure. The researchers from RailCorp and NSW Fire Brigades said the inflated obesity rate was of particular concern. RailCorp tightened health checks after a service crashed near Waterfall in January 2003, killing the driver and six passengers. The driver had suffered a fatal heart attack and the guard, who had a pre-existing psychological impairment, failed to operate the emergency brake. EDITORIAL Driven to ill health - P43
© 2007 Illawarra Mercury