Jun2024
Welcome
Work Safe, Home Safe / HSQE Team
Move more for your mental health
Vital alert | Drug and alcohol testing
Moving rail and the risks associated
Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) Independent report
The dos and don’ts of driving in the summer
Safety alerts
Office locations
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As spring heads towards summer, it is getting warmer and the almost constant rain abating Hopefully, we have some warmer and drier weather to look forward to this summer.
The first quarter of the year was busier than last year but unfortunately there were accidents along with the work.
Just recently, a passenger in one of our vehicles was killed in a road traffic accident that is currently under investigation. This tragic accident highlights just how dangerous it can be when travelling on our roads.
The last released Government data showed that in 2023 there were 1,695 road fatalities, and 27,795 people were killed or seriously injured
After any accident we reflect on what went wrong? What caused it to go wrong and what can we do to put it right so that it does not happen again?
Very rarely is there a single cause of any accident beyond the immediate event, rather it tends to involve multiple factors.
In simple terms these can be divided into 2 groups, organisation, and human.
The organisation element involves the management of the organisation specifically including the management of risk.
The human element involves people’s actions and behaviour.
On a successful and safe worksite both elements work well, but one is no good without the other. A policy or process is ineffective without the right people behaviour. We not only require a safe system of work, but we need to follow it as well.
Please bear this in mind before thinking a shortcut, or a change from the system might be better.
Thank you, take care
Gareth MorrisGroup Director, Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental Compliance
Moving more is good for our mental health, so what‘ stopping us?
One of the most important things we can do to help protect our mental health is regular movement. Our bodies and our minds are connected. Looking after ourselves physically also helps us prevent problems with our mental health.
Movement is a great way to enhance our wellbeing Even a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking can boost our mood and increase our mental alertness and energy. Movement helps us feel better about our bodies and improve selfesteem. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety and help us to sleep better.
Find moments for movement every day
Life gets busy and it can feel like we don’t have time to spend on activitie improve our wellbeing But, finding moments for movement throughout might be easier than you think How often do you find yourself ‘waiting’ throughout the day? Waiting for the kettle to boil; for your children to co out of school; for a bus to arrive; or for a delivery These moments can ad you use the time to get moving, that will add up too You could march on spot, do some stretches, or try some chair exercises Give it a go! You’ll b surprised how much time you can fill with movement
Set small, achievable goals
When you ’ re beginning to move more for your mental health, set yourse goals It might be walking to the end of your street Then you can push y a little further each day Perhaps keep a movement journal so you can tr your progress and how it makes you feel Your goals are personal to you you make progress you will create positive feelings that can boost your confidence and mood
Take a break from sitting
Many of us are sitting for long periods during the day: working at desks, dr sitting down to browse the internet or scroll through social media, watchin favourite television show or reading a book Research shows that it’s unhe to be sitting or not moving for long. If you are sitting for large periods of tim throughout the day, set a timer to take regular breaks to stand up, walk aro and stretch your body
Be kind to yourself, moving more is self-care
It can be hard to get yourself up and active if your mental health is poor The days when you lack in motivation or are feeling low are likely when you’ll see the biggest boost to your mood by getting moving Think of moving more as an act of self-care that will help you to feel good If you feel anxious about going outside, there are also lots of home workout ideas on YouTube that can help get you moving Don’t be too hard on yourself if you ’ re struggling to get moving Take small steps each day and you’ll soon feel the benefits!
Source: MH Foundation
VHRL have seen a significant increase in the number of individuals receiving a positive (fail) test result when undertaking random or for cause D&A Testing.
Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol impairs an individual’s judgement and reaction times, creating an unsafe working environment for not only yourself, your colleagues but also others working or travelling within the rail infrastructure.
VHRL are committed to complete random D&As on a minimum of 20% of our workforce to comply with Network Rail rules, for cause testing is not considered within the committed 20% For cause testing will continue to be completed as and when required
Prior to undertaking any activities on or near the line or within a rail office environment you must ensure you are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Our Drug and Alcohol policy advises - it is a requirement that any worker holding PTS must not under any circumstances:
Report for duty in an unfit state due to the use of drugs or alcohol
Use, possess or supply any recreational drugs, drugs of abuse or alcohol that may affect performance and safe working whilst on duty or travelling to/from work
Consume any drugs or alcohol that may affect performance and safe working whilst on duty or when travelling to/from work
Any worker producing a ‘positive’ (fail) sample for either drugs or alcohol will be suspended from working on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure for five years and subject to disciplinary proceedings
A failure or refusal to submit a sample when requested to do so will also be reported as a ‘positive’ (fail) resulting in a five-year suspension being applied.
Moving or replacing rail is very common on the infrastructure and takes place very regularly
There are many risks associated with this activity so car must be taken to ensure accidents or injury does not occur.
Ensure you have been fully briefed on the work to be undertaken
Ensure you know who is giving instruction of the placing and moving of rail
Ensure that are aware of exclusion zones
Ensure that any equipment used is in a good condition, in date and that you are familiar with its use
Ensure there is a safe method of moving any rail
Ensure when moving large sections of rail there are clear communications between a lead person and all operatives on site
Distance for the rail to be moved or positioned and any gradients along the planned route and underfoot conditions
Type of equipment or any tools to be used
Number of staff required for the lift, the experience of the group and the understanding of instructions
Communication methods available and the worksite activity, i e noise
Reduce the amount of manual handling wherever practical
Utilise RRV plant or equipment to move rails
If plant cannot be used then ironmen should be utilised
If lifting small sections, use rail dogs, ensure staff understand the lifting instructions and carry together
Bars with turn-bars are to be used as last resort
Before commencing any lifting activity, it is important you are fully prepared
Take 5 and asses the work you are about to undertake
Have you had sufficient manual handling training?
Have you had sufficient training on any tools or equipment to be used
Have you been fully briefed on the task to be undertaken
Do not enter exclusion zones until informed to
Is your PPE Sufficient and in a good condition
Track worker struck by a road-rail vehicle at Braybrooke, 6 February 2024
Published 29 May 2024
Important safety messages
This accident demonstrates the importance of: staff controlling on-track plant maintaining a position that affords a good view of the area ahead of the machine staff working around on-track plant ensuring that they keep an awareness of machine movements maintaining and controlling exclusion zones around on-track plant for all
of the accident
During the early hours of 6 February 2024, a track worker was struck and injured by a road-rail vehicle (RRV) while working in a possession on the Midland Main Line near to Braybrooke in Northamptonshire
The track worker was walking along the track and directing the movement of another RRV on an adjacent line when they were struck. As a result of the accident, the track worker sustained a leg injury which required hospital treatment
Cause of the accident
The accident occurred because the person responsible for directing the movements of the RRV involved (the machine controller) had not seen the track worker walking along the track ahead when they instructed the machine operator to move the machine The machine operator had a restricted view of the track ahead from their control position
The work being undertaken was the installation of new overhead line equipment as part of the Midland Main Line electrification project Staff were deployed in RRVs which included a pair of machines working on each of the two parallel tracks. A supervisor was overseeing the work, and another person was appointed to co-ordinate the use of the RRVs.
It was dark at the time of the accident and work was being undertaken using the lights of the machines involved and head torches worn by the staff involved The area is a rural location and there is no nearby lighting on or adjacent to the railway
The RRV involved in the accident was a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) This comprises a basket attached to a boom which can be raised or lowered to enable access to the overhead line The machine operator stands in the basket when operating the controls to move the RRV along the track or to work when it is stationary The RRV can be configured so the basket is either leading or trailing the main body of the machine as it moves along the railway The machine which struck the track worker is referred to as ‘RRV1’.
When driving the RRV with the basket in the trailing position, the machine operator, situated in the basket, has a restricted view of the track ahead This is because the boom and body of the machine obscure their view When a machine operator’s view ahead is restricted, it is a requirement of the Rule Book (GERT 8000 Handbook 15 ‘Duties of the machine controller (MC) and on-track plant operator’, Issue 6 September 2022) that the movement is controlled by a machine controller on the ground It is also a specific requirement for this type of RRV that any movements made with the basket trailing be controlled by staff on the ground
An additional feature of RRV1 is a carry deck that can be used to move tools and equipment At the time of the accident the carry deck was at the leading end of the machine Although not carrying any equipment at the time of the accident, it was in its horizontal position, as it is automatically lowered when the RRV’s rail axles are deployed The top of the carry deck when in the lowered position is approximately 33 cm above rail height
The work was planned so each line had a pair of RRVs working ‘back-to-back’ with the MEWP baskets facing each other Two of the machines, including RRV1, were to work on the Down Main line Another RRV (referred to as ‘RRV2’) and a fourth machine were to work together on the Up Main line This method was planned and briefed to the staff operating and controlling the machines before work began
To reduce the danger from on-track plant such as RRVs, Network Rail requires an exclusion zone to be set up around them These zones are intended to prevent staff from walking into blind spots where machine operators cannot see them Staff are not permitted to enter an exclusion zone without the permission of the machine controller for the RRV concerned, who will confirm it is safe to do so The extent of an exclusion zone depends on the type of machine and the activity being undertaken
The task brief for the work being carried out included a requirement to set up and maintain exclusion zones around the machines The exclusion zones were shown graphically and extended 10 metres to the front and rear of each single MEWP The task brief states that the exclusion zone is to be set up and managed by the machine controller
Witness evidence indicates that machine controller 1 walked from a position between the two tracks (the ‘six-foot’) around the rear of RRV1 to the Down cess side to check that the way ahead was clear During this check, machine controller 1 saw that machine controller 2 was in a refuge in the Down cess Machine controller 1 then returned to the six-foot via the rear of their machine, retracing their steps. Satisfied that the way ahead for RRV1 was clear, machine controller 1 gave the machine operator of RRV1 the instruction to move. The machine operator (machine operator 1) raised RRV1’s basket and sounded the horn, as was their standard practice when about to move their machine. They also checked the area ahead of their machine as best they could, given the restricted view from the basket Machine operator 1 then commanded RRV1 to move forward
The route (red arrow) of machine controller 1 around RRV1 when checking around the RRV
Sometime after machine controller 1 had checked the cess side of their machine, machine controller 2 left the refuge and walked towards RRV2, which was on the Up Main line Machine controller 2 took a position in between the rails of the Down Main line (the ‘four-foot’) and started to walk ahead of RRV1, with their back to it
Immediately before the accident, the operator of one of the RRVs on the Up Main line saw machine controller 2 walking in the four-foot of the Down Main line They realised that RRV1 was about to strike machine controller 2, so they shouted a warning. This was heard by machine operator 1, who responded by stopping RRV1. Machine controller 2 tried to move out of the way of RRV1, towards the six-foot. However, they reported being struck on the back of one of their legs by the carry deck of RRV1 as they did so, and they fell to the ground in the six-foot. Only after RRV1 had stopped did machine operator 1 see machine controller 2 lying on the ballast and realise why a warning had been shouted
Approximate positions of the four RRVs and the position of machine controller 1 and machine controller 2 immediately before the accident Machine controller 2 stated that they sustained their injury from a combination of being struck and by subsequently falling while moving out of the way of the machine They were given assistance by colleagues and subsequently taken to a nearby hospital
This accident occurred because machine controller 2 was walking in the area directly ahead of RRV1 and because the movement of the machine brought them within its exclusion zone and then into contact with the carry deck The area directly ahead of RRV1 was outside the vision of machine operator 1, who had a restricted view of the line ahead, and also of machine controller 1, who was to the rear of the machine
Although machine controller 1 had checked the line ahead before authorising RRV1 to move, machine controller 2 had in the intervening period left the refuge and walked ahead of the machine Network Rail has a series of lifesaving rules which it requires staff and contractors to comply with This includes the rule ‘Never enter the agreed exclusion zone, unless directed to do so by the person in charge’
From glare to getaway gridlock, driving in the summer comes with its own set of challenges. Prevent your summer adventures coming to an unexpected stop
The dos of summer driving
Be prepared
So you ’ re prepared for the worst, keepan emergency kitin your car. You might want to include a first aid kit, a spare tyre, a portable phone charger or power bank, jump cables and your insurance documents
Share the roads
School’s out for summer, so expect roads to be much busier with all kinds of vehicles Make sure you give cyclists, horse riders, and bikers plenty of space. You’ll also need to be extra careful when driving through areas where children are likely to play
Check your tyres
Tyre faults rank as one of the most common breakdown causes1. When high temperatures can make existing tyre damage worse,it pays to check your tyres weekly or before a long journey
Keep a clear view
Maintain a crystal-clear windscreen by keeping your windscreen washer levels topped up, replacing worn or damaged wipers and getting scratches and chips repaired
Dazzled by glare? Use your sun visors and keep a pair of glare-resistant sunglasses handy.
Top up your fluids
Engine coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, oil and windscreen wash make up the lifeblood of your car Make sure you check the levels of each liquid
On a long journey? Keep an eye on your fuel levels. It might seem like a no-brainer but running out of fuel is responsible for more breakdowns than you’d think
Know your route
Technology can be temperamental, so it’s good to have a back up for your sat nav Research your route before hitting the road, and invest in a road map you know how to use. It could help you avoid the summer getaway gridlock
The don'ts of summer driving
Don't drive tired
Accidents caused bysleep are more likely toend in death or seriousinjury Try to get a good night’s sleep if you know you ’ ve got a long journey ahead of you. When you ’ re on the road, take at least a 15-minute break every two hours Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can help perk you up, too
Don't leave your kids or pets in your car
Never leave vulnerable passengers, children or pets behind in your car - no matter how quick you think you ’ re going to be In-car temperatures can spike dangerously high within a few minutes during the summer months. When it’s 22 degrees outside, a car can reach 47 degrees within an hour Don’t forget to close your windows and sunroof, and lock your doors if you ’ re leaving your car unattended
Don't get caught in traffic
It pays to plan your journey ahead so you can try your best to avoid roadworks or traffic delays. Check for updates via local radio orTraffic England,Traffic Scotland, Transport Northern Ireland, Traffic Wales
Don't forget the entertainment
Whether heading on a family holiday or a day trip, long journeys can be tough on young kids. Keep your little ones entertainedon long car journeys by packing toys, tablets and headphones
Don't let hay fever stop you
Did you know, if you sneeze driving at 70mph, you won’t see the next 60+ meters of travel
If you ’ ve got hay fever, choose a non-drowsy medication, keep tissues handy, and close vents and windows when driving to minimise symptoms
Source: AXA
This safety alert highlights the importance of understanding your surrounding and the required process and procedures when walking to and from the site of works within a location where limited clearance structures are present.
Define the expected behaviours of the team (i e things you would like to observe team members doing, such as wearing light eyewear, dust masks or other items of PPE, using the phone in a permitted area/standing in a PoS, full use of DECT comms; Machine Controllers/Crane Controllers always walking in front of the machine they are looking after, point protection lamps replaced after the movement of any points, etc
Equally defining the behaviours, you do not want to see or observe (such as using handheld devices whilst undertaking their duties, MCs/CCs not present or attentive, anybody in the exclusion zones set up etc)
Set boundaries and explain the consequences of breaching them - these are not threats; make a strong statement of the importance of individual actions, the potential impact on the safety arrangements or the harm that may be caused Describe what action you will take to prevent harm to people or the operational railway if the plan and risk control methods are breached
Test the understanding of recipients robustly – this is essential; if we ASSUME, assumptions will make an ASS out of U and ME; make a strong and personal test of the understanding of our safety critical and delivery plans, the duties to be performed, the position of control points or demarcation to prevent encroachment
Use open questions (questions that cannot be answered by yes or no), and get feedback on what they have heard before work starts; work at it, push engagement and unless you are satisfied, don’t start or restart the work – “Tony, explain to the team what you doing tonight that will keep us/your team all safe ?” Hold each other to account, encourage, provide feedback and give praise for a job well done
Describe the expected communication method you want, how you want our people to communicate, at what frequency and when Share planned break time, facilities available and shift times of the planned works, build a rapport
If you are not content that the staff planned to work are fit, competent and engaged, do not start Seek support, escalate and review the plan accordingly. If a safe way forward cannot readily be achieved, in consultation with site based or on-call management, cancel the works – you have my full support.
Personally anticipate the risks to you and others – actively encourage others to anticipate the risks around them and their colleagues – THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE
Use controlled STOPs in the shift – if you are not happy with what you are observing or the command and control of operations is not effective, undertake a controlled stop of the works, and hold people to account for their actions and behaviours This could be by observing someone in an exclusion zone, someone not replacing points protections lamps, MCs/CCs not walking in front of or actively managing and communicating with the operator
Be open to challenge If challenged, treat it with the respect it deserves, listen with the intent of understanding and not to simply respond Your teams will appreciate the openness
If there are new members in the team (not everyone knows each other), introduce people to each other, get them to explain their role and what they will be doing to contribute to the work. Attempt to motivate the team, set out the objective and what finishing the job safely and on time will achieve for the project
Aim to create a team ethos, a sense of belonging and ownership, even if only for a single shift!
Define the expected behaviours of the team (i.e. things you would like to observe team members doing, such as wearing light eyewear, dust masks or other items of PPE, using the phone in a permitted area/standing in a PoS, full use of DECT comms; Machine Controllers/Crane Controllers always walking in front of the machine they are looking after, point protection lamps replaced after the movement of any points, etc.
Equally defining the behaviours, you do not want to see or observe (such as using handheld devices whilst undertaking their duties, MCs/CCs not present or attentive, anybody in the exclusion zones set up etc).
Set boundaries and explain the consequences of breaching them - these are not threats; make a strong statement of the importance of individual actions, the potential impact on the safety arrangements or the harm that may be caused.
Describe what action you will take to prevent harm to people or the operational railway if the plan and risk control methods are breached.
Test the understanding of recipients robustly – this is essential; if we ASSUME, assumptions will make an ASS out of U and ME; make a strong and personal test of the understanding of our safety critical and delivery plans, the duties to be performed, the position of control points or demarcation to prevent encroachment.
Use open questions (questions that cannot be answered by yes or no), and get feedback on what they have heard before work starts; work at it, push engagement and unless you are satisfied, don’t start or restart the work – “Tony, explain to the team what you doing tonight that will keep us/your team all safe….?” Hold each other to account, encourage, provide feedback and give praise for a job well done.
Describe the expected communication method you want, how you want people to communicate, at what frequency and when. Share planned break time, facilities available and shift times of the planned works, build a rapport.
If you are not content that the staff planned to work are fit, competent and engaged, do not start. Seek support, escalate and review the plan accordingly. If a safe way forward cannot readily be achieved, in consultation with site based or on-call management, cancel the works – you have my full support.
Use controlled STOPs in the shift – if you are not happy with what you are observing or the command and control of operations is not effective, undertake a controlled stop of the works, and hold people to account for their actions and behaviours. This could be by observing someone in an exclusion zone, someone not replacing points protections lamps, MCs/CCs not walking in front of or actively managing and communicating with the operator.
Be open to challenge. If challenged, treat it with the respect it deserves, listen with the intent of understanding and not to simply respond. Your teams will appreciate the openness.
If there are new members in the team (not everyone knows each other), introduce people to each other, get them to explain their role and what they will be doing to contribute to the work. Attempt to motivate the team, set out the objective and what finishing the job safely and on time will achieve for the project.
Aim to create a team ethos, a sense of belonging and ownership, even if only for a single shift!
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