Keeping track workers safe in remote locations
With increasingly ageing infrastructure and more severe weather having an impact on railway bridges, more work is being undertaken by track workers to monitor, assess and repair damaged infrastructure.
This vital work is undertaken by Network Rail and their contractors to ensure trains can operate safety and efficiently.
The recent incident occurring on 10th Feb 2024 where a train struck debris when a bridge was no longer able to carry the load imposed by the embankment highlights how important inspection and monitoring work carried out by track workers is for trains to run safely.
The driver of the train reported that the pile of bricks was 10 metres long and 2.5 metres high, and he did not have time to take action to avoid the collision.
You can find the full RAIB incident report here Report 01/2024: Train striking debris at Yarnton – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
RAIB report identified four learning areas in their report, these are as follows:
- Risk mitigation measures when remedial work is deferred
- The importance of clearing vegetation to allow structural examinations to take place
- The value of including comparable photographs in examination reports
- The ability to monitor structural movement
How geofencing can help mitigate risk when track workers undertake inspections
Some areas of the infrastructure can be quite remote, meaning that workers need to walk for long distances in the cess to get to their place of work. An accurately placed geofencing zone can ensure that device wearers do not stray to within a specified distance of the open track.
Managers and supervisors can be alerted if they stray into an unsafe area, if they need assistance, or they should fall, via the OWL portal.
The OWL portal can give the whole team a view of what is happening in real time, with the ability to see where track workers are and what vital infrastructure, they are inspecting at any one time.
For more information about how OWL can help keep your teams safe when working trackside, get in touch with Andy Mehaffey.
