[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR240.207]

[Page 641-642]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 240--QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS--Table of Contents
 
         Subpart C--Implementation of the Certification Process
 
Sec. 240.207  Procedures for making the determination on vision and hearing acuity.

    (a) After the pertinent date specified in paragraph (e), (f), or (g) 
of Sec. 240.201, each railroad, prior to initially certifying or 
recertifying any person as an engineer for any class of service, shall 
determine that the person meets the standards for visual acuity and 
hearing acuity prescribed in Sec. 240.121.
    (b) In order to make the determination required under paragraph (a), 
a railroad shall have on file either:
    (1) A medical examiner's certificate that the individual has been 
medically examined and meets these acuity standards; or
    (2) A written document from its medical examiner documenting his or 
her professional opinion that the person does not meet one or both 
acuity standards and stating the basis for his or her determination that
    (i) The person can nevertheless be certified under certain 
conditions or
    (ii) The person's acuity is such that he or she cannot safely 
operate a locomotive even with conditions attached.
    (c) Any examination required for compliance with this section shall 
be performed by or under the supervision of a medical examiner or a 
licensed physician's assistant such that:
    (1) A licensed optometrist or a technician responsible to that 
person may perform the portion of the examination that pertains to 
visual acuity; and
    (2) A licensed or certified audiologist or a technician responsible 
to that person may perform the portion of the examination that pertains 
to hearing acuity.

[[Page 642]]

    (d) If the examination required under this section discloses that 
the person needs corrective lenses or a hearing aid, or both, either to 
meet the threshold acuity levels established in Sec. 240.121 or to meet 
a lower threshold determined by the railroad's medical examiner to be 
sufficient to safely operate a locomotive or train on that railroad, 
that fact shall be noted on the certificate issued in accordance with 
the provisions of this part.
    (e) Any person with such a certificate notation shall use the 
relevant corrective device(s) while operating a locomotive in locomotive 
or train service unless the railroad's medical examiner subsequently 
determines in writing that the person can safely operate without using 
the device.