A Personal Track Safety Medical or a PTS Medical is designed to assess whether an individual is able to work safely in a rail track environment. It is also designed to help rail workers understand the systems that are in place which keep them safe whilst working.
To work on any active rail network, any railway worker will need a Personal Track Safety Medical. Once complete, the results are uploaded to the Sentinel portal. The result from the PTS Medical acts as a sort of medical/ fitness certificate, which identifies the level of fitness of the railway worker.
It’s important to remember that rail tracks are designed for trains and not people. However, railway workers do have to work in close proximity to tracks and trains. Therefore it’s important to ensure that every rail work worker has a certain level of fitness so that they are as safe as possible when at work.
Who needs a PTS Medical?
Before beginning to work on the railway, every work must have a PTS Medical and a Drug & Alcohol test. There are no exemptions to this rule and strict criteria must be met at all times. The PTS Medical is intended to clarify that all railway workers are medically fit and fully aware of their surroundings. Meaning they do not enter dangerous situations, or they have a certain fitness in order to avoid them.
Alongside a valid PTS Medical certificate, Drug & Alcohol testing is required at regular points.
How does a Personal Track Safety Medical last for?
Before the age of 40, PTS medicals should be renewed regularly, but they have a maximum expiry date of 10 years. Whereas for railway workers aged 40-65, the maximum expiry date is reduced to 5 years.
What is included in a PTS Medical?
A PTS medical ensures that all workers meet a certain standard of health to work on/near rail tracks. The safety critical aspect of the medical frequency is completed based on age and/or health and will include the following components:
- General health questionnaire
- Drug and alcohol test
- Weight/BMI
- Vision test using Snellen
- Vision test using Ishihara for colour blindness
- Blood pressure
- Audiometry
- Pulse
- Urinalysis
A failure on these tests may result in the employee’s PTS certificate being cancelled.
Plus, if required
- A drug and alcohol test (completed annually)
Drug Test – completed from a sample of urine. All samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Alcohol Test – a sample of breath is taken through a breathalyser machine.
Where is the PTS Medical completed?
Our PTS Medicals are complete on-site in our clinic in Congleton, Cheshire. All information from the medical assessment is directly uploaded to the sentinel portal as requested. Acorn OH has fully trained clinicians to complete all medical assessments and the reporting to sentinel.
How long does a PTS Medical take?
A Personal Track Safety Medical takes approximately 1 hour to complete. This hour includes time to also complete the drug and alcohol testing.
Why choose Acorn for your Medical?
Acorn is RISQS accredited to provide Personal Track Safety Medicals to rail workers. Companies that wish to work with or for the Great British Rail Industry must meet very strict criteria called RISQS – Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme.
The RISQS accreditation is recognised by the rail industry as the most effective means of managing supply chain risk. It brings complete assurance that as a rail network provider, you can confidently look to Acorn as your Occupational Health provider.
Acorn has been through a lengthy process to ensure that we meet all criteria to the highest standard and certify that our clinical staff are fully competent to carry out Personal Track Safety (PTS) medicals for rail.
Where do we cover?
Acorn OH has a central location in Cheshire in the Northwest, close to Stoke on Trent, Crewe, Birmingham and Manchester. Our specially designed medical room is equipped with a full hearing booth and all necessary requirements for PTS Medicals.
Although based in the Northwest, Acorn OH can also offer a nationwide service attending suitable sites.
PTS Medical costs
| Services | One-off Prices | Half Day Prices per person | Number of medicals per Half Day | Total Half-Day Charge | Full Day Prices per person | Number of medicals per Full Day | Total Full-Day Charge |
| PTS Rail Medical (Safety Critical Medical) | £85 | £75 | 4 | £300 | £70 | 9 | £630 |
| Drug and Alcohol Tests | £60 | £55 | 10 | £550 | £50 | 21 | £1,050 |
| Both of the above | £145 | £130 | 3 | £390 | £120 | 6 | £720 |
Note: Additional charges apply to non-negative/positive drug and alcohol results.
Contact us
If you would like more information, or to speak to one of the team members, please give us a call at 01260 277797 or email website@acornoh.co.uk