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Eye sight and fork lift trucks - help please
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Posted By Rose Herridge
Could somebody help me please with a query i have into driving fork lift trucks with visual impairments,
an employee has just advised me he has tunnel vision in one eye following extensive eye operations.As part of his job, he drives a fork lift truck for loading lorries and racking.
i intend to adjust my risk assessments and already have control measures in place ie obtaining medical reports etc but would anyone know in the meantime, whether tunnel vision can affect the ability to drive the flt?
any information would be gratefully received. thank you
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Posted By paulw71
Tunnel vision in one eye would mean loss of peripheral vision and also affect depth perception.
This being the case it would impair his ability to safely drive the forklift.
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Posted By FAH
Hi Rose
I would suggest that you RAs concentrate on the affects that your FLT drivers eyesight will have on his ability to detect objects outside his defined area of "tunnel vision".
For instance, just how narrow is his peripheral vision?
What other moving objects will he have to identify before he actually hits them?
Is there a corresponding loss of visual acuity?
Given that he loads/unloads lorries, how much does his disability affect his ability to accurately locate the load - on the FLT & on the lorry?
Frank Hallett
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By MDH Rose Take a look at HSG6 Safety in Working with Lift Trucks. It states "Visual field defects. Lift truck operation should cease unless an operator is confirmed able to meet the recommended national guideline for visual field" A definition is provided in "At a Glance" available from the DVLA Medical Unit www.open.gov.uk/dvla/dvla.htmHope this helps Martin
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Posted By Geoff Ferneyhough
There is no reason why he cannot safely operate a forklift with only 1 good eye.
However I would recommend that you use your Forklift Trainer/Training Company to re assess his competence to operate the forklift in the light of the information he has passed to you.
Bear in mind that DDA will apply as well.
Geoff
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Posted By paulw71
Sorry Geoff but cannot agree with that.
Im not saying he couldnt drive it but that he shouldnt.
By having a fork lift driver with impaired vision is not reducing risks to reasonably practicable level. It is encouraging an accident.
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Posted By Geoff Ferneyhough
Paul,
In response,
we have done just that with a driver who only has one good eye.
Taking advice from our Occupational Health Provider and following Appraisal by our Trainer the driver has proved to be a competant and capable Forklift operator without accident/incident since the Appraisal.
I would say that each situation should be judged on its individual merits.
Geoff
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Posted By Swis
Each case should be assessed on it's own merit and we should not cofused ourselves with DDA here. (we simply can't put a completely blind guy on driver's seat for the sake of DDA)
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Posted By andy.c.
Rose
Although i have never had to investigate further i have always believed that an existing operator who suffers an eye injury resulting in monocular vision can remain operating after competence is assured by passing a basic skills test.
looking at it abit today, it is clear to me that each case must be dealt with on an individual basis.
Type of equipment, product being moved, full extent of visual defect, environment operating in, are just a few things to consider
the link below may help, its the lift truck guidance from the association of optometrists
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Posted By Phil Rose
'Automatically' banning him would be rather short sighted (no pun intended) and would agree with Geoff. I had the same thing a few years ago, and we went through a pretty rigorous process which included optician, occ health and the trainer and our chap with sight in only one eye was 'cleared' to train, drive and operate a forklift.
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Posted By Phil Rose
HSE ACoP L117 on forklift training says that (and I paraphrase as cannot directly quote due to copyright) that people with disabilities may well be allowed to operate and work safely with forklifts and that medical advice should be sought and each case assessed on a case by case basis.
Appendix 2 to HSG6 deals specifically with monocular vision in forklift drivers and this does NOT automatically prevent these people from driving but suggests that suitability to drive, or not can be assessed by both medical assessment and practical driving assessment. It also makes reference to the fact that many people with disabilities, including monocular vision are often able to compensate for their disability.
Please don't consign these people to the scrap heap just yet!
And as it's Friday tomorrow - what if God only gave us one eye to start with?
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Posted By Rose Herridge
Thank you all for your advice and postings - I greatly appreciate the time you have taken to answer my query -
Best wishes
Rose
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Eye sight and fork lift trucks - help please
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