3. Health and safety

• This section covers the wider rail industry, including underground, light rail, heritage or tram services. This reflects the wider remit of our health and safety responsibilities. Please note that safety data is collated on a calendar year basis.

Background information

• Some of the risks to railway employees are comparable to other industries, but there are significant differences. These are due to the hazards in trackside and depot locations from moving trains and electrification.

• The most dangerous location is on or about the railway line. Track workers suffer over half of all fatal injuries to railway employees.

• Provisional figures for 2006 (1 January to 30 September) show 6 fatalities and 175 major injuries. The trend for fatalities, measured per 100,000 employees, appears to be level or rising. Based on the provisional data, the trend for major injuries is falling. Fatalities and major injuries to Network Rail employees have been falling since 2004,

• Figures for minor injuries are shown in Fig. 3.3 on the next page. Minor injuries resulting in staff being unfit to work for more than three days are reported as ‘over 3 day injuries’. They are also known as ‘lost time’ injuries. The data notes for definitions of the three types of reportable incident.

Rail industry worker safety –continued

• The provisional number of over 3 day injuries during 2006 (1 January to 30 September) is 1,195. This suggests that the full year figure will be less than in recent years. There have also been fewer over 3 day injuries to Network Rail staff during 2006. It seems that, despite the rise during 2005, the incidence of over 3 day injuries is on a declining longer-term trend.

• In summary, there are encouraging trends of reducing major and minor injuries. However, more needs to be done to continue to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.

Delivering HMRI strategic aims for worker safety

We aim to further reduce the number of injuries by:

• focusing Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) work on the most critical topics (mainly the risks to track workers and shunters from moving trains) while ensuring that employers pay proportionate attention to lower risks;

• using our expertise to gauge duty holders’ understanding of, and improvement of, human factors and safety culture which can lead to non-compliance with rules and other provisions that control risks to workers;

• championing an improved supervisory culture within the industry;

• encouraging the industry to streamline and modernise procedures to reduce the “bureaucracy of safety”;

• encouraging stakeholders to explore technological advances that can better protect staff; and

• promoting asset management systems that reduce the need for unplanned, or poorly planned, work on or near the track.

Current industry and HMRI initiatives

• Network Rail has several initiatives underway that aim, among other things, to improve safety, including: awareness of hazards in the workplace; safety culture; and safety leadership and safety on the line. Other initiatives are in the early stages of delivery such as: Communication; Behaviours; Competence Assessment; and Possessions. Steady improvements are happening but there is more that can be done.

• Several train operators have campaigns to reduce lost working time accidents for staff. Their aim is a 50% reduction in days lost. They are also working to reduce violence against staff and are participating in Network Rail’s programme to improve safety critical communications.

• A freight train operator has introduced and is trialling new shunting practices which may reduce the risk to shunters. These are at a very early stage and we will be inspecting the new practices.

• We have inspections assignments underway covering shunting, violence to staff and a range of other issues.

Summary of fatalities for July –September 2006

Location Details:
Dagenham, Essex
A shunter who had been engaged in a freight shunting movement, controlled by radio, involving coupling a class 47 locomotive and a single wagon was found lying adjacent to the siding from which the train had just moved.

Bronwydd Arms Station, Carmarthenshire
A Class 03 locomotive was being used to add an additional carriage to a train. The move was controlled by hand signals. The diesel and coach shunted on to the main line and during the operation to couple up with the main train the guard of the train was trapped between the carriage and the train. He sustained fatal injuries as a result.

Deal, Kent
An engineering train was stopped at a possession limits board after reports from a handsignaller that smoke was coming from under the train. The driver was seen to climb between two wagons and then seen to slump to the ground. Possible electrocution after coming into contact with electrified third rail.

Bodmin, Cornwall
During the course of a crane’s annual inspection, the insurance inspector became trapped between a jib and a cable drum winch while the crane was being operated.