The result of a pre-trip medical examination (предрейсовый медицинский осмотр)—a mandatory medical check before a driver begins a route—is not a formality but a safety checkpoint for transportation. If a healthcare professional records high blood pressure or an elevated pulse in a driver, the employer may not send the driver out on the road. This rule applies to all drivers, including foreign workers authorized to work in this profession.
Being barred from a route is mandatory, not optional
A pre-trip medical examination is mandatory for drivers. When the examination shows medical indicators that make it impossible to send the driver out on the road, the employer must suspend the employee from work. The decision cannot be left to the dispatcher, shift supervisor, or driver: operating a vehicle in this condition creates a risk to people, cargo, and the company.
Suspension applies immediately, that is, before the route begins. The information provided contains no specific blood-pressure or pulse values that trigger a ban: the basis is the result of the pre-trip check and the healthcare professional’s decision. The employer should not independently diagnose the driver or replace the medical assessment with an internal opinion.
How to incorporate checks into the vehicle-release process
In practice, it is important to link the medical check to issuing the waybill (путевой лист), the document used to authorize a vehicle’s shift, and permitting the driver to use the vehicle. Until the examination has been completed and permission to drive has been granted, the driver must not go out on the road. If unfavorable indicators are identified, the waybill for the shift is either not issued or the employee is not permitted to drive the vehicle.
This procedure reduces the risk that the employee will actually begin the route before the decision is documented. For the employer and the transportation customer, it is also a way to demonstrate that vehicle dispatch was organized in compliance with occupational health and safety and transportation safety requirements. The procedure does not depend on the employee’s citizenship: a foreign driver undergoes the same check as a Russian citizen.
What documents the HR department and manager need
The examination result should be recorded in the pre-trip check log or form: blood pressure, pulse, date, time, and the healthcare professional’s decision are recorded. The employer then issues an order or directive suspending the employee from work. The basis should state the result of the pre-trip medical examination, and the period should be defined as a specific shift or as lasting until the circumstances are resolved.
The period should also be recorded separately in the working-time sheet (табель рабочего времени), the employer’s record of time worked, using the designation adopted by the organization. The documents should show the sequence of events: first, the medical indicators were identified; then the driver was not permitted to operate the vehicle; after that, the employment-related decision was documented. This helps prevent a situation in which the reason for the absence in the timesheet differs from the reason for the driving ban stated in the documents.
Pay and next steps: do not draw automatic conclusions
As a general rule, time spent suspended because of medical contraindications is not paid. But this does not mean that every driving ban is always unpaid: a different procedure may apply if the downtime arose through the employer’s fault or if payments are provided for by law, a collective agreement, or a local regulation. The payment decision should be assessed based on the specific grounds and circumstances.
A one-time driving ban following an examination should not be turned into a lengthy suspension without medical documents. The employee should be informed of the procedure for seeking medical care and submitting documents to the employer. If a medical opinion is needed to decide on a temporary transfer or continued employment, it should be requested and the next employment-related steps should then be assessed without unjustified delay.
The risks of sending a driver out despite the examination result
Sending a driver out with unfavorable medical indicators increases the risk of a road traffic accident and harm to life and health. For the company, it also creates the risk of claims by regulatory authorities and liability for failing to comply with occupational health and safety and transportation safety requirements. In this situation, barring the driver from the route protects not only the employee but the entire production process.
At the same time, incorrect documentation also creates risk. If the employer did not record the medical grounds, failed to issue an order, or unlawfully determined payment for the period, an employment dispute and a claim for payments may result. Therefore, the employer’s task is not only to stop the route but also to document the justification for every subsequent action.
What to check
- Check that the driver completed a pre-trip medical examination before being sent out on the road.
- Record the blood pressure, pulse, date, time, and the healthcare professional’s decision in the examination documents.
- Do not issue the waybill or permit the driver to operate the vehicle during that shift.
- Issue an order or directive suspending the employee from work, citing the result of the pre-trip examination.
- Explain to the employee the procedure for seeking medical care and obtaining documents for the employer.
- After receiving the medical opinion, assess the possibility of a transfer or the next employment-related steps.
- Record the suspension period in the working-time sheet using the designation adopted by the organization.