Keeping Track Workers Safe
When speaking to those working on Network Rail infrastructure, almost everyone you speak to has a story to tell about an incident or a close call that has occurred that could have led to a fatality or serious accident occurring. Some common categories of incident include:
Risks of workers being struck by trains
- Works being conducted outside of a planned line block
- Workers straying into adjacent open lines
Workers at Risk of Electrocution from Overhead Lines and DC Rails
- Workers straying beyond or working outside isolation limits
The risk associated with Objects left on the line, with the potential to cause derailment.
- Users leaving objects on the track at the end of work can happen for various reasons, including due to loss of control and visibility during handover or lack of checks and processes around plant and equipment management.
Near misses involving workers are alarmingly common, as evidenced by a recent Glasgow incident. A trackworker was in imminent danger of being hit by a train travelling at 75mph. Fortunately, the driver’s quick reaction prevented disaster. Learn more in the safety bulletin: here.
This incident was a result of the worker straying beyond the safe limits of their working area, and into a location that meant they had the potential to be struck by a train.
Working outside safe limits is not deliberate and typically occurs when track workers walk the wrong way onto an open line. Consequently, this can occur when workers become; engrossed in the task, distracted, or lose situational awareness and this can result in fatal consequences.
Risk of Electrocution
Given the nature of works on or around the railway. It is often necessary to isolate the OLE and or DC conductor rail to allow works to proceed. This isolation ensures that staff do not come into contact with High Voltage equipment which has the potential to cause death or serious injury.
Similar to Possession or Worksites which are setup to protect workers from the passage of trains. Isolations are there to protect workers from HV equipment. Despite Isolation arrangements being in place there are still instances of workers coming into contact with live HV equipment.
An example of an incident involving live HV equipment can be found here.
As with the risk of being struck by trains, working outside safe limits of isolation is generally not deliberate. However, it occurs when track workers enter the works in the wrong location or stray beyond the safe limits of isolation. This can occur when track workers lose situational awareness and don’t have clarity on the arrangements and can again this can result in death or serious injury.
Risk of Objects left on the line
Objects being left on the line after work has taken place is another common occurrence.
leaving tools, equipment, plant, or machinery behind poses a critical risk to railway operations, potentially causing serious accidents. This is highlighted by the incident where a worksite marker board was prematurely placed, leading to a near miss, the full incident can be found here.
As with the scenarios described above incidents associated with Objects on the Line can occur as a result of; carelessness, a lack of visibility, confusion caused by handover between shifts, the use of different staff at the start and end of possessions, isolations and associated worksites.
Given the nature of works on or around the railway it is often necessary to isolate the OLE and or DC conductor rail to allow works to proceed. This isolation ensures that staff do not come into contact with High Voltage equipment which has the potential to cause death or serious injury.
Similar to Possession or Worksites which are setup to protect workers from the passage of trains, Isolations are there to protect workers from HV equipment. Despite Isolation arrangements being in place there are still instances of workers coming into contact with live HV equipment.
An example of an incident involving live HV equipment can be found here.
As with the risk of being struck by trains, working outside safe limits of isolation is generally not deliberate, it occurs when track workers enter the works in the wrong location or stray beyond the safe limits of isolation. This can occur when track workers lose situational awareness, don’t have clarity on the arrangements and can again this can result in death or serious injury.
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