Ishihara and working on OSVs and Crew boats

Maritime Employment
1

Greetings Forum members. Let me start by thanking all of you for the wealth of information available here as it has been very helpful to me.

Here’s my story:

I’m finishing up my 100ton AB and LB classes this week and am preparing to send everything into the coast guard. My problem is it has recently come to my attention that I have a slight red/green color blindness causing me to fail the Ishihara (colored dots) test. At the coast guard exam, administered by a local doctor here in Fort Lauderdale, they allowed me to do another test where I lined up a number of colored balls from pure green to pure red in order of most red to most green or visa versa. I passed that test and therefore passed the physical according to the coast guard. I guess what I’m worried about and hoping people here can help me with is:

If I want to work for one of the big boys on deck (ECO, HOS, etc) will the Ishihara test put a stop to everything? Or, will I be allowed to take another test?

If so, can I continue to work in the engineering department, in which case I would have to start out as a wiper?

Is it worth my while to come up to LA and start knocking on doors or will I be immediately disqualified at the physical?

Thanks again forum members, any insight would be much appreciated.

2

Lots of people have a problem with the Ishihara test, there are many other acceptable tests as you spoke of. There should be no problem to take an alternate USCG approved test., many of the clinics the offshore companies use here can administer them.
Definitely worth your time to come down and knock on doors…
Good luck !

3

That dot test is stupid and a waist of time! It proves nothing but someone can or can’t do a 3D puzzle. The lantern test should be the test given first. It shows red white and green lights that you must identify… you know, the colors we see when we look out the window. I hate that test.

4

I have the same problem with the Ishihara test. I fail that test every time. I just take a red / green lantern test. No problem. I work at ECO, so tell Dr. Duet to do a lantern test. Just make sure your blood pressure is good or else.

5

one of my uncles is a ophthalmologist, also color blind he just learnt every page in the book ( they are all the same ) to get his ppl ( private pilots license)
ishihara test is not good its just the only thing the industry has

6

[QUOTE=powerabout;90904]one of my uncles is a ophthalmologist, also color blind he just learnt every page in the book ( they are all the same ) to get his ppl ( private pilots license)
ishihara test is not good its just the only thing the industry has[/QUOTE]

There are 7 possible test that can be used listed on the USCG medical form.

This is interesting: http://www.jomtonline.com/jomt/articles/volumes/5/2/HowWeIshihara.pdf

This also: http://colorvisiontesting.com/online%20test.htm#Test Card Number 3 answer

7

[QUOTE=needlegun;90605]Greetings Forum members. Let me start by thanking all of you for the wealth of information available here as it has been very helpful to me.

Here’s my story:

I’m finishing up my 100ton AB and LB classes this week and am preparing to send everything into the coast guard. My problem is it has recently come to my attention that I have a slight red/green color blindness causing me to fail the Ishihara (colored dots) test. At the coast guard exam, administered by a local doctor here in Fort Lauderdale, they allowed me to do another test where I lined up a number of colored balls from pure green to pure red in order of most red to most green or visa versa. I passed that test and therefore passed the physical according to the coast guard. I guess what I’m worried about and hoping people here can help me with is:

If I want to work for one of the big boys on deck (ECO, HOS, etc) will the Ishihara test put a stop to everything? Or, will I be allowed to take another test?

If so, can I continue to work in the engineering department, in which case I would have to start out as a wiper?

Is it worth my while to come up to LA and start knocking on doors or will I be immediately disqualified at the physical?

Thanks again forum members, any insight would be much appreciated.[/QUOTE]

The Coast Guard accepts several tests for color vision. The Farnsworth lantern test is considered by some to be the “easiest” but hard to find someone who gives it (try here: http://www.leftseat.com/falant.htm )

Engineers have a lowerr standard, they need only distinguish red, blue, green, and yellow.

8

Thanks a million everyone, I can’t wait to get up to LA. I’m glad the company physicals give you an option other than Ishihara. What a relief!