A new two-step approach to testing the colour vision of train drivers will enhance both the safety of the railway and its inclusivity for people with mild colour vision deficiencies.
A report commissioned by the Rail Safety and Standards Board found that the new protocol for mainline train drivers would reduce the severity of colour vision loss in the most affected applicants who pass the new test three-fold.
The research, which was completed by City St George’s, University of London researchers, also found that the pass rate for applicants with mild red/greencolour deficiencies would increase by 47.5%for deutans and 66.7% for protans compared to the previous colour vision assessment.
The first step of the two-stage test involves using a simplified version of the Ishihara testas a screening tool.
A Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test developed by City St George’s, University of London will be used for applicants who fail the first stage of the test to assess the severity of colour vision loss.
Senior lecturer, Dr Marisa Rodriguez Carmona, who developed the CAD test as part of her PhD, told OT that the previous protocol for testing colour vision in train drivers resulted in a significant degree of variability.
“The protocols were not established so it could be that if you went to one occupational health centre you passed, and if you went to another you failed,” she explained.
She added that for those who fail the first stage of the protocol, the CAD test threshold is set at a different level for deutans and protans.
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