I may be getting in a stew over nothing (it has been known!) Do any of you check the eyesight of your FLT drivers? I know when you get your car driving licence it’s checked but then not unless you have an accident. I recent had a member of staff (who doesn’t drive for us) confess that she had discovered that she had been driving illegally due to her poor eyesight (now rectified by glasses) and it got me thinking. We have FLTs, high bay racking and driver not in the first flush of youth – how many of them can’t see like they used to?? Can we get them to read a plate at the requisite distance (or even suggest they get their eyes tested) without opening a whole heap of HR type issues? Do we have to wait for them to flatten the racking first? Am I over thinking this…

Thank you Pikeman. We have an occy health provider for our HGV drivers. I will look into the cost of doing the FLT driver too. Everything I have to do I have to do with no budget!! I suspect I'm not alone... I was hoping that there was some industry precedent or ACOP advice that would add some power to my argument!

There is no real legislation around FLT other than general duties, PUWER as the legislation for fitness to drive comes from the Road Traffic Act...the assessment would be to the Group 1 (ordinary licence) standard with additional parts put in up to and including group 2 (HGV etc) for night work, moving hazardous materials etc...I would just make sure you OH provider knows what they are talking about here. Deriving your own internal fitness to work standards can be done but it is a lot of work to keep it up and ensure consistency.. https://www.gov.uk/curre...idance-for-professionals