OK as ‘best practice’ I have been asked to give the drivers eye tests!
It basically consists of me putting them 20 foot from an eye chart and asking them to read me the bottom line up which takes about 20 seconds.
I am getting a certain amount of ear ache about this as they are saying such as “I only did my medical 3 weeks since” etc and at least 2 outright refusals.
Does anybody else do this, I have to say in over 30 years in road transport, I’ve never been asked to do this.
I would tend to agree with them, you are unlikely to be qualified to do it. Do you know how to deal with someone who has dyslexia for example ? (Perfectly competent to drive but can have letter “blindness”, especially under pressure).
Opticians (and some doctors), for checking eyes, same as mechanics for fixing lorries 
Keep out of it, they will have you dipping their p**s every morning next. 
manski:
I would tend to agree with them, you are unlikely to be qualified to do it. Do you know how to deal with someone who has dyslexia for example ? (Perfectly competent to drive but can have letter “blindness”, especially under pressure).
Opticians (and some doctors), for checking eyes, same as mechanics for fixing lorries
I would say it’s not about being"qualified" more likely due diligence. 5 years between medicals is a long time to not know if people can see properly. I assume if they “can’t” the next step is to refer them to their opticians or occupational health to get sorted?
I would say it would fall under a reasonable request. So I would tell them to do it just to shut your boss up and let you have a quiet life.
kcrussell25:
manski:
I would tend to agree with them, you are unlikely to be qualified to do it. Do you know how to deal with someone who has dyslexia for example ? (Perfectly competent to drive but can have letter “blindness”, especially under pressure).
Opticians (and some doctors), for checking eyes, same as mechanics for fixing lorries [emoji38] Keep out of it, they will have you dipping their p**s every morning next.I would say it’s not about being"qualified" more likely due diligence. 5 years between medicals is a long time to not know if people can see properly. I assume if they “can’t” the next step is to refer them to their opticians or occupational health to get sorted?
I would say it would fall under a reasonable request. So I would tell them to do it just to shut your boss up and let you have a quiet life.
If someone were to fail…
Ban from driving company vehicles? Get a replacement in of course.
Prevent them from driving their own car home?
They’ll maybe be on full pay until they can get an official test done ? Can’t allow them to drive themselves there.
Sounds like someone has an excess of boxes that need ticking.
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Tbh if I was one of your drivers I’d point blank refuse to do it…
Also I thought it was a number plate from 20ft not an eye chart?
My “objection” really was to the idea of the OP conducting the tests as someone, presumably, with no medical or optometric knowledge. Besides which it does not sound as if he (she) is going to make many friends out of it
Incidentally any employee who uses display screen equipment, and that includes pc’s, tablets, laptops and smartphones for one hour or more at a time, is entitled to an employer paid for eye test.
xichrisxi:
Tbh if I was one of your drivers I’d point blank refuse to do it…
Also I thought it was a number plate from 20ft not an eye chart?
20 metres, not 20 feet!
But that’s just the check they do at the start of your practical driving test. You must also have vision that reaches the required standard (as measured using the Snellen charts). The required standard is of course higher for lorry drivers.
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Franglais:
kcrussell25:
manski:
I would tend to agree with them, you are unlikely to be qualified to do it. Do you know how to deal with someone who has dyslexia for example ? (Perfectly competent to drive but can have letter “blindness”, especially under pressure).
Opticians (and some doctors), for checking eyes, same as mechanics for fixing lorries [emoji38] Keep out of it, they will have you dipping their p**s every morning next.I would say it’s not about being"qualified" more likely due diligence. 5 years between medicals is a long time to not know if people can see properly. I assume if they “can’t” the next step is to refer them to their opticians or occupational health to get sorted?
I would say it would fall under a reasonable request. So I would tell them to do it just to shut your boss up and let you have a quiet life.
If someone were to fail…
Ban from driving company vehicles? Get a replacement in of course.
Prevent them from driving their own car home?
They’ll maybe be on full pay until they can get an official test done ? Can’t allow them to drive themselves there.Sounds like someone has an excess of boxes that need ticking.
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Due diligence is ticking boxes.
You are right that they would have to be suspended on pay pending an eye test. Can only advise about their personal vehicle.
Sounds like the op is in a mess as if they were going to do it it should have been done fully as they are now exposed to discrimination complaints from those who did it.
I wasn’t there long enough but I am sure there was something at my previous job about seeing the driver trainer every 6 months to check eye sight
The last sentence hits the nail on the head "Driver Trainer) not an Optician…I get my eyes checked every 2 years ,The standard must be low as I kept passing ,I had to basically argue that I needed glasses for driving ,and they relented .and the difference is night and day
www.vutest.com
I was working at a client who decided to do eyesight checks. They used the above website. Some drivers struggled and were sent away for eye tests. However at least one driver struggled to find the computer let alone read the reg number on the screen.
I went for an eye test and as soon as I walked in, the bloke said “You need glasses”. I said “How do you know, you haven’t done any tests yet?” So he said “Because this is the butchers, the opticians is next door”.