Shield April 2016

The Shield

THE PAPER for rail people in the southern region

See page

7

What’s Been happening in Wandsworth?

Issue 07, APRIL 2016

Dover and above Repairs to the sea wall are underway STORMY weather, 30ft waves, and even the risk of unexploded bombs have not stopped staff carrying out urgent work to protect the railway at one of Britain’s most iconic sites.

Major work is needed to repair damage to 250m of sea wall and railway track at the White Cliffs of Dover after cracks and sinkholes started to appear on Christmas Eve. The sea wall was built in the early part of the last century and likely failed due to a number of factors, worsened by a bad storm and very high tides.

A team was…

Continued on page 3 >>

Drill down Preparing for the worst PAGE 2

“ It’s important to have the right safety glasses” PAGE 4/5

www.southernshield.co.uk

All heart what would you do in a crisis?

PAGE 8

2 The SHIELD Issue 07, april 2016

First Person As Tim Coucher leaves IP Southern to take up his new post at Network Rail, he hands over to the new Regional Director of IP Southern, Janice Crawford.

I am tremendously proud of all that we have achieved in the Southern Region. While we should never be complacent, in the last 12 months we have significantly improved our lost time injury rates to one of the best in the organisation.

This does not mean that we are not still injuring people at work – and I believe that we should not be prepared to accept any injuries – but we are getting more people home safely every day.

However, there is still more to do. So as I move on to my new post, I urge you all to be totally intolerant of any unsafe practices or behaviours

that you see. Your actions could save a team mate from getting injured and we all have the right to get home safely from work to our loved ones, every day.

Tim Coucher

I am excited to be taking over as Regional Director and being part of a great team – I am confident that together we can meet all our challenges to deliver a better railway. We must always do this safely – any injuries at work are unacceptable. In my first few weeks of induction around

the country I have seen a level of tolerance to potential safety issues that I am not used to. In the Southern Region, you have made fantastic progress to change this culture and the turnaround and downward trend on the safety statistics is extremely impressive but there is always more to do. If you believe your workplace is not safe you will always have my backing if you stop work or take a time out. Only by working together can we create the right environment to get everyone home safely every day.

Janice Crawford

The Shield A rubbish job, well done This paper is produced for:

Drill down ON THE VERGE: COLLEAGUEs help keep redbridge tidy

SIEMENS and McGarrys went the extra mile to clear-up litter left by other railway contractors in a particularly sensitive area.

The site, in Redbridge, is in the middle of forestry very close to residential neighbours and the access point, used to bring in large equipment for the possession, is shared with other railway operators.

After a weekend, staff returned to find rubbish and litter left behind and decided to clear it up themselves, filling up two black bin bags.

“It is a great example of good practice particularly in terms of our lineside neighbours,” said Construction Manager Mick Hull.“I do think that,

particularly for Siemens and McGarrys, it is in the culture of their business to be respectful to those living and working around them.

“We have an impact on our neighbours everyday lives and they, in turn, have an impact on us, so it is good to keep them happy and involved in what we do.”

One neighbour went away impressed after seeing that the contractors had relocated the trees, that were cut down to access the works, to a wildlife habitat further along the site.

She was also involved in the decision to erect a barrier around a building put up to hide a switch gear.

Good neighbours

Written and designed by:

www.beetroot.co.uk

A TEAM of staff have helped make life just that little bit better for a young girl from Southampton.

Osborne joined forces with WellChild, a national charity that supports thousands of children with long-term or complex health conditions, to help nine-year-old Sarah have improved access to her garden.

Site managers, surveyors and estimators all got together with an organiser from WellChild to transform the family’s garden giving Sarah direct access from her bedroom by improving wheelchair accessibility with paving and ramps.

They also installed a new ramp from the kitchen to a decked garden area, a new swing and raised flower beds that Sarah can reach from her chair.

This now means that Sarah has an area where she can play with her sister rather than having to just watch from a window.

“On the face of it, the project seems small, but as it will have such a positive impact, the size doesn’t matter,” said Osborne Senior Site Manager Bruce Williams. “Working together with WellChild on this garden has been a fantastic experience and will improve the life of one girl and her family.”

EVERYONE HOME SAFE EVERY DAY

IMAGINE the scenario, a fire has broken out in a tunnel and two workers are trapped in a load trailer while an operator is stranded in crane cab after suffering a heart attack. A nightmare situation –but don’t worry, it’s just a drill.

BAM Nuttall has been embracing a culture of safety with a number of emergency drills taking place across sites.

As well as the above scenario, BAM Nuttall, Network Rail and local rescue services put their skills to the test in the Jarvisbrook tunnel, which was closed due to the Crowbrough drainage project.

They were faced with two workers who had been injured by a piece of plant. One casualty had his leg trapped beneath a crane flat bed.

At Stewarts Lane depot a dummy helped colleagues and subcontractors understand exactly what to do should one of their colleagues fall from a scaffold deck.

The procedure was successfully completed twice using the dummy and all scaffold operatives were given the opportunity to practice using a retrieval reel.

The drills mean that should these incidents, or any like them, happen in real-life, the emergency services and BAM Nuttall will be prepared.

“It was beneficial for us all to experience the drill in realistic site conditions, so that if the worst should happen we would all know how to react,” said BAM Agent, Nick Moss. “This training could potentially save a life.

“Regular practice and training will ensure that everyone is as prepared as they can be.”

Also using a dummy, workers at the Arun River Bridge project took part in an exercise to rescue a person who had fallen into a river. A 40kg weighted dummy was used to make it more realistic.

The dummy was rescued using the site safety boat under the control of Adam Smith, with another operative assisting. It was recovered from the river into the boat which then returned to the designated mooring area.

The dummy was carried up the scaffold steps where first aid was administered.

The trained rescue operatives practiced the procedure twice, so they knew what to do in a real-life incident.

In both trials, the ‘casualty’ was rescued within one minute.

Issue 07, APRIL 2016 The SHIELD 3

Continued from page 1 >> ...immediately mobilised to assess the damage, with plant and labour arriving on Boxing Day to start the repairs.

“It has been really quick-paced. We spent the first few weeks of 2016 carrying out emergency works to make the area safe, stabilising the wall using 200 metres of sheet piles, and removing unstable track,” said Engineer Karin Jones from Costain who is working onsite. “We have made initial investigations, including a UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) survey – as Dover is a high-risk site for unexploded material from previous wars, before beginning the permanent work, to ensure the safety of people working onsite and the integrity of the wall and track. The design is now well on its way and permanent works will begin soon.

“More than 130 concrete piles will support the new track on a new concrete viaduct. We will also be installing further rock armour to protect the wall from the sea.”

Since the original event further ground movements have occurred, in part due to severe storms, with further sinkholes appearing, safe access routes had to be created and sinkholes filled in.

A huge amount of stone, some brought over from Norway via boat, has already been used to repair the damage and even more will be used as the work continues. Material has been brought in by train, where possible, to reduce the environmental impact and save on haulage costs.

“The bad weather coupled with the sea conditions have proven to be a big safety issue for us,” said Karin. “We have set a higher minimum standard of PPE so that everyone has the right gear in

this weather, including winter socks, waterproof gloves and Network Rail-issued balaclavas; encouraging this safety culture from the start of the scheme.”

Costain has a huge amount of innovative plant onsite at Dover including seven 30-tonne dump trucks and excavators. They even have a bulldozer to remove any plant that breaks down on the beach as it would not survive the tides should it be left there.

An amphibious ex-army vehicle was also used a transport staff up and down the beach, when 4x4 vehicles couldn’t quite manage it. It is also kitted out as an emergency vehicle complete with a stretcher, first aid kit and defibrillator.

“We were at beach level, on Shakespeare Beach, for around eight weeks working on the wall 24-hours a day around the tides, to stabilise it. We are cur-

LIfe’s a Beach: Some of the work taking place at dover

report it as a Close Call IN this edition of The Shield, we look at another Close Call that was reported by staff members, this time at the Stewarts Lane depot in Battersea.

Chris Amato and Dean Francis of Hadley Scaffolding were working on a scaffold when they spotted that the power had been re-energised on a ‘jumper cable’ hanging from a busbar (equivalent to the 750v third rail).

Immediately, the pair raised their

concerns with the protection controller, alerting them that others could be in danger. This led to an improved depot procedure being implemented while workers are present. Both Dean and Chris received a voucher and a letter of recognition from BAM Nuttall.

What is a Close Call?

The definition of a Close Call is an event that has the potential to cause injury or

damage. In other words, something where no-one was hurt and nothing was damaged on this occasion, but next time the outcome could be different.

So if you see that something is wrong (that it could cause harm or damage) or someone is behaving in an unsafe way. If it is safe to do so, fix or quarantine the situation and always report it as a Close Call.

A Toolbox Talk on Close Calls can be found at southernshield.co.uk

SAFETY IN 60 SECONDS – page 8

rently taking a step back from the work on the beach to allow surveys to be fully completed to ensure safety of everyone onsite. We are also concentrating on repairs needed to make the tracks an operational railway once again,” added Karin.

Passengers have been affected by the works happening at Dover. There is a rail replacement bus service running and some trains are still able to run to London. However, the new track is being laid in the same position, so passengers will be able to use the service as they always have done once the repairs are complete, albeit with a different view.

Simon Dunbar, Costain’s Works Manager said: “It’s a real tribute to the commitment of our supply chain who answered the call on Christmas Eve and enabled us to mobiles so quickly. It’s a oneteam feel, with Network Rail, Costain and the suppliers stepping up to the plate.”

4 The SHIELD Issue 07, APRIL 2016

The eyes have DESPITE safety glasses being one of the “must-wear” pieces of PPE, there are still too many people damaging their eyes on the railway.

The Shield went along to the Avon and Stour Viaduct project in Christchurch, Dorset, where an expert from PPE manufacturer UVEX spoke to staff about different eye protection products they have. We asked some of them to road test (or rather rail test) a few pairs and here’s what they had to say…

Benjamin Leng Osborne Assistant Site Manager Benjamin Leng tested two varieties of safety glasses.

He said: “I tried the UVEX Skyguard which was a happy medium between goggles and glasses. They offer great protection against dust and splashes – they are slightly clunky but would be perfect for task-specific situations.

However, I would recommend the UVEX Sportstyle safety glasses for all operatives to wear on a day-today basis.

“They have rubber banding along the top of the glasses and this would certainly help to prevent debris from getting in the eyes. Their wraparound design also improves the level of protection from foreign objects. The Sportstyle are light and very comfortable to wear and I now prefer

wearing the UVEX Sportstyle, whereas before I would regularly wear the UVEX Winner style glasses.

“I think that some subcontractors will buy the cheapest compliant pair possible. A lot of them do have antimist coating, but when you clean the glasses, you manage to take off the coating and they begin to mist up again.

With the UVEX glasses, the anti-mist coating is impregnated into the lenses, so you can clean them as many times as you want and the anti-misting properties of the glasses wont diminish.

“I have experienced the discomfort and pain of an eye injury before, where a piece of grit or dust scratched the lens of my eye while I was putting in my contact lenses. This caused a corneal ulcer that required hospital treatment therefore I appreciate the importance of preventing eye injuries.”

Tested: UVEX Skyguard, UVEX Superfit, Sportstyle Rating: 8/10, 10/10, 10/10

Russell Rosenau Osborne Site Supervisor Russell was pleased with the UVEX Winner glasses he was given to try out.

He said: “They are so comfortable to wear that it doesn’t seem like you are wearing them, which is good when you are out on site for a long time. They also sit nicely when I wear my safety helmet because the arms of the glasses are thinner so they don’t press down

so much. They also have anti-mist so they don’t steam up.”

“I think sometimes people don’t wear safety glasses because the cheaper ones tend to mist up and can’t see where they are going. Workers have to continually take them off and put them back on again. It takes them away from the task that they are doing as they cannot concentrate, which can be a big problem. I have access to all the safety glasses I need. We keep a stock in the filing cabinet with plenty of spares.”

Tested: UVEX Winner Rating: 9/10

Always use equipment that i

Issue 07, APRIL 2016 The SHIELD 5

it

Chris Baker Chris, who is a Telehander operator and assisted with the site set-up, tried out three different types of glasses Chris thinks that people often don’t wear glasses because they are uncomfortable. He had an incident many years ago when he suffered an eye injury while grinding.

He said: “I was wearing cheap goggles but grit still managed to enter one of my eyes and I had to go to hospital to remove

it. I would have been more protected if I had been wearing better goggles.

“The UVEX Superfit glasses were really comfortable to wear. They were so light I didn’t even notice that I was wearing them. It’s quite important to have the right safety glasses otherwise if you know you have them on they can quite be irritating. I found the UVEX Winner more uncomfortable and quite heavy. I also tried the UVEX Ultrasonic goggles which were great while doing specific tasks such as angle grinding.”

Tested: UVEX Superfit, UVEX Ultrasonic goggle, UVEX Winner Rating: 9/10, 9/10, 6/10

TOP TEN TIPS: Falling Objects

Each year many people are seriously injured and even killed after being struck by an object which has fallen from height. The dangers are obvious, but the reality is that incidents continue to happen. When working from height cannot be avoided then it is necessary to put controls in place. When carrying out risk assessments, the seriousness of the outcome can be underestimated because it is difficult to predict what will happen when something falls to the ground. Safety, Health and Environment Advisor Barry Thompson gives us his top ten tips about falling objects…

1 2 3

RISK – Complete a risk assessment and consider who might be harmed and how.

4 5

SECURE – Secure objects to prevent them from falling when raising and lowering them.

AVOID – Avoid taking objects in the air. For example, assemble components at ground level.

PREVENT – Take steps to prevent objects falling in the first place. For example, fit brick guards to scaffolds or use tool lanyards.

James Gartside Painter James tested the Astrospec 4C plus clear lens.

Although James has never had an eye incident at work, he knows just how important it is to wear safety glasses at all times – and he knows exactly where to find a pair should he need

them. He does however agree with his colleagues that some people don’t wear them while working as they can often steam up.

He said: “I wore the Astrospec model while I was doing woodwork so they were good for that. But it is not very practical when I was painting because when I got paint on it and then tried to wipe it with a cleaning solvent the antimist from the glass was removed.”

Tested: UVEX Astrospec 4C plus clear lens Rating: 7/10

is fit for its intended purpose

The Avon and Stour project has not been without incident as Benjamin explains: “We have had two eye injury incidents where both men were wearing safety glasses at the time. One of them was walking past while the existing longitudinal rail bearer timbers were being removed over the blockade and a bit of dust blew in his eye. Luckily, he was able to remove it with some saline solution. But the other incident resulted in the operative going to hospital to make sure that the grit was taken out from his eye after he washed his eye with saline.

This incident happened after he lifted some scaffolding tubes onto his shoulder.”

STOP – Take steps to stop an object reaching ground level should it fall by fitting catch nets or a scaffold fan.

6 7

Chute – Never throw or tip objects from height. Use a rubbish chute to dispose of waste.

Exclude – Create an exclusion zone at ground level by putting up suitable fencing and warning signs.

8

INFORMATION – Provide information on the risks to those affected and what they should do to stay safe.

9 10

TRAINING – Provide training for workers on how to use any equipment provided.

PPE – Ensure PPE is used and worn correctly, helmets should be worn to help protect the head from a falling object.

6

The SHIELD Issue 07, APRIL 2016

What lies beneath? ned on Trough positiod between trolley secure ils two support ra

into position Trough moved ent. before alignm as it slides No need to liftolley safely from tr

Plant focus IN OUR regular column for The Shield we take a look at construction plant that is innovative, efficient and safe.

A trough installation trolley prototype has been developed by colleagues at McNicholas to create a safer way to lift and install concrete troughing.

By positioning the trough on the innovative trolley, it is safely secured between two support rails. This means that it can be easily moved into position before alignment and there is no need to lift it from the trolley.

The trough is pushed into position mechanically eliminating low level lifting and finger crush injuries.

The trolley can be used in conjunction with other trough lifters, to lift the trough into position, which creates a far safer method of lifting and installing the troughing.

into position Trough pushedeliminating low level mechanicallyer crush injuries lifting or fing

BEWARE of hidden places, corners and cases – you never know what could be hiding there.

Spiders and biting animals are hidden hazards, often small and hiding in dark places – particularly the Noble False Widow Spider – an infestation of which was recently found by a signalling team working in a Croydon maintenance delivery unit.

This species is common in the South of England and are venomous. They are black or brown, plump, rounded and are a maximum of 15mm in length (approximately the size of a 20p coin). The spiders also have markings on the body and a cream coloured band.

Bites from the False Widow spider are not life-threatening but can cause some

huge fall in lost time injuries A SIGNIFICANT drop in the number of lost time injuries during the last year has seen the Southern Region go from being one of the worst performers to one of the best.

LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) is the rate our people are experiencing accidents at work. All accidents and incidents at work are captured and recorded for every 100,000 hours worked. If our LTIFR was 1.0 it would mean we are experiencing one accident per 100,000 hours.

The Southern Region LTIFR target from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 was 0.416 and we achieved a figure of 0.282. This means that we had one lost time injury for every 70,818 hours worked.

Steve Webber, Southern Region Head of Safety, said: “This is a fantastic performance and a reflection on the dedication and professionalism of everyone working in or supporting our frontline workforce. However, we cannot afford to be complacent as we still had 90 people who did not get home safe last year. We need to drive our accident rate down even lower until everyone gets home safe every day.”

ies: Total injur : 132 5 1 0 2 – 4 1 0 2 90 : 6 1 0 2 – 5 1 20

pain, swelling and fever-like symptoms, similar to a wasp sting. Symptoms should only last for a couple of days.

But for some, bites or stings, can cause a serious reaction know as anaphylactic shock, which, although uncommon, can be fatal. If you know you are intolerant or allergic to bites and stings, you must report it to your Site Supervisor or Manager and identify it as part of your safety risk assessment.

Although the False Widow will only bite when disturbed, if you come across one, stop work, keep clear and report the infestation. Complete an Environmental Incident Form, so the site can be cleared or so a Worksafe Procedure can be put in place.

So remember to check your location thoroughly before working.

2014–2015

7

the noble false widow spider

2015–2016 Head

6

Eye

Eye

9

2

Face

Face

3

10

Back

Back

2

Chest

Chest

2

16

1 9

Head

Arm

Arm

11

1

Other

Other

2

3

Wrist

Wrist

3

27

Hand

Hand

10

12

Leg

Leg

4

0

Knee

Knee

1

10

Ankle

Ankle

11

10

Multiple injuries

Multiple injuries Positioning of injuries are for illustrative purposes only

90 people did not get home safe last year

5

Issue 07, APRIL 2016 The SHIELD 7

All in a weekend’s work STORM Katie may have spoiled many people’s Easter holiday plans, but the terrible weather couldn’t stop Network Rail and its contractors working on a vital project at Wandsworth Town station.

The central island platform was renewed to improve stepping distance from the train to the platform. This involved replacing the platform copers.

Two of the platforms were also resurfaced and new drainage was added.

In addition, the subway was also renewed with the installation of new waterproof reinforced concrete and a ballasted track system.

To reduce manual handling, the team utilised a 55 tonne mobile land crane to deliver and remove materials. On-platform works included the use of tracked barrows and installing copers with mini-diggers.

Refurbishments to the nearby York Road bridge were also made in preparation for upcoming works.

Stuart Davies, Delivery Enabling Manager, said: “We were able to deliver these schemes around Storm Katie through careful planning, with safety at the core of our works.”

The Wandsworth Town work was just one of the countless projects taking place over the bank holiday weekend.

Quietly efficient

Staff were even complimented by a neighbour. A nearby resident called to thank workers for keeping noise to a minimum. She didn’t even hear the crane arriving on site during the night.

want us to feature your team? Get in touch – shield@networkrail.co.uk

8 The SHIELD Issue 07, APRIL 2016

they’re All heart

How would you react if one of your co-workers was taken seriously ill at work?

STAFF working at Balcombe in West Sussex certainly pulled together in a time of crisis, when one of their colleagues suffered a suspected heart attack at work.

A group of seven operatives and COSS Robin Cain had started to work to remove redundant cable from the track following night work at the site.

But a while after the work had started,

attack here s of a heart Symptom the chest (or elsewhortin s , a g p n e can includ y), dizziness, sweati miting, in the bod breath, nausea or voezing. ness of coughing or whe s are anxiety, of these symptom ll 9.

If some or a immediately call 99 present, re the patient is Make su and reassured le comfortab waiting for while nce. an ambula

some of the staff noticed that something was wrong with Robin.

It was initially thought he was just bending down to pick something up off the floor, but he was not moving very well and his hands were shaking.

Robin then fell onto the floor away from the track and staff ran to give him aid.

At this point he was in distress and salivating excessively.

“Robin has suffered a heart attack in the past, so when we saw him on the floor we were all very concerned,” said McNicholas COSS Mark Nichols. “We put him in the recovery position in a safe place and tried to keep him warm. He was unresponsive and my colleague Josh Sheldon called for an ambulance.

Mark, who was then a Probationary COSS, took charge of the work group and assumed the role of COSS. When the emergency services arrived, they were able to access the track and remained in a place of safety at all times. Mark, himself, walked the

Shield online THE Southern Shield has a brand new website, containing a wealth of information to keep you up to date and get you home safe every day.

As well as the latest safety bulletins, Toolbox Talks and details of upcoming events, you’ll find an online version of The Shield newspaper. Visit southernshield.co.uk and see for yourself.

www.southernshield.co.uk

60 seconds

We put a member of staff on the spot and talk about their thoughts on safety. In this edition, we chat to Osborne Site Manager David Slack The Shield: Explain safety in 10 words.

David Slack: Rules we use to protect people and property from harm.

TS: What unsafe act would you banish forever?

DS: Fraudulent CSCS cards – potentially allowing workers with little or no knowledge on sites where they are a danger to themselves and others.

TS: What is the best safety motto you have heard?

DS: Better late than never. Many accidents at work and in everyday life can happen because people are rushing or cutting corners to save time. It is always worth taking those extra few seconds to do the task safely.

TS: What company – in any industry – stands out for you regarding safety?

DS: SSE has impressive continually high safety standards. It is so important that we continually improve and don’t get complacent.

STANDING BY: Josh and Mark

ambulance crew down the track to Robin.

The crew were able to treat Robin and by this time, he was more responsive and was able to walk off the track.

However, to make it easier for Robin to get to the ambulance, Mark rang the signaller and requested an emergency line blockage to get everyone safely off the line.

“The safety of my colleagues and the emergency staff was at the forefront of my mind,” said Mark. “We all worked together to react in the best possible way to the situation.

“As we had no COSS, we could not continue to work until another was brought to the site.”

Robin was taken to Hayward’s Heath Hospital and has since returned to work.

If you want to learn more about site safety, then why not contact us at our Southern Shield website at www.southernshield.co.uk

GLASS ACTS

john ritchie receives his prize

IN EACH edition of The Shield we hand over a pair of Bolle safety glasses to colleagues who have made an outstanding contribution to safety where they work.

Isolation Agent for Keltbray Rail, John Ritchie, was testing the third rail on one of the sidings at the Stewarts Lane depot. He fully isolated the rail before testing it when his live line tester showed an intermittent signal for current in the line. John immediately reported the fault and it was later found that a faulty hook switch meant there was residual current through the third rail. The isolation was handed back and planned works were suspended. John’s actions potentially saved someone from getting seriously hurt.

What do you think? Get in touch – shield@networkrail.co.uk