Trackside Safety

[hobbm013]

Admins please move to a more appropriate location if needed

Some of you may remember I posted a few months back asking about specific aspects of the rail industry which could be improved for a University Product Design project. This work continues and my current avenue of thinking is improving track worker safety.

So far I have identified the following safety features used track-side:

Fences
Safeguards (Blocks)
Wardens
Lookout Warning
Equipment Warning

Would someone be able to inform me of the type of scenario where each safety feature would be used, and the decision making which decides what level of safety is required for track workers, and the limitations of each system? Any direction to websites or publications would also be much appreciated.

Finally, any other suggestions or comments on how track-side safety could be imrpoved further.

Kind Regards

 

[LordCreed]

Can't add much personally (as I'm not a track worker), however it might be worth having a read through the RAIB reports. These give guidance on how to improve safety following an incident, so might be of interest.

 

[SilentGrade]

Check out the 019 standard if you haven’t already. It’s basically the starting point

 

[Ben.A.98]

What you have almost listed is the heirarchy of controls, these are split into two groups, working with protection, and working with warning. I can't give too much information on working with warning (red zone) as we don't use it in Scotland.

Working With Protection
1. Safeguarded - All lines at site are blocked, this may be by a line blockage you have taken with the signaller, or within a worksite within a possession.
2. Fenced - Self explanatory, a fence is set up (which will require a safeguarded pack to do) which will keep you off the line. I mainly see them used by projects i.e installing new location cases.
3. Seperated - You have an UP and a DOWN line, you block the UP only and leave then DOWN open to traffic. You will appoint someone to take the role of Site Warden, and define a point that you will not cross, normally in this situation the 6ft rail. Unlike a lookout they are not there to look for trains, they are there to watch that no one crosses the previously agreed point.

Working With Warning
4. Permanent Warning System
5. Train Operated Warning System (TOWS)
6. Human Activated (LOWS)
7. Portable Warning System
8. Lookout

Where possible the planner should always give you the highest level of protection possible, only if this is not possible or practicle you should downgrade. Google network rail 019 and it should throw up some results for you.

 

[alex17595]

There are certain scenarios which correlate to which method that you use. For example if your working on a line block and you have a trolley on (or are doing work which affects the safety of the line) addition protection must be used such as detonators. There are so many rules on what you can and can't do all relating to group sizes, lookout distances, type of work to be undertaken.

As a Coss you can choose to change the SSOW without authority if you going down the heirachy but to move up to a less safe system you have to get permission.

I have been on for 7 year and I have never worked on anything other than Safeguarded, Seperated or fenced.

Have a look at the handbooks which can be downloaded from here:

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