Health & Safety Gone Mad (Again)?

[Eve]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2412098/Railway-worker-rescued-woman-wheelchair-fell-tracks-minutes-train-arrived-suspended-breaching-safety-procedures.html

There are rules for safety but would a worker be expected to just watch someone die to make sure they follow "protocol".

Of course, it alludes to possible other protocols but not what so maybe hard to judge but there just seem to be more and more of these cases.

[woofgang]

well but would it have helped if they had both got squished or electrocuted? I would want to know what the procedures are and whether there was time to stop the train and turn off the power before commenting further.

[Peter Pedant]

perhaps he wanted to keep the trains running on time ?

brave man.

[factor-fiction]

I assume there was a protocol that was considered safer- maybe turn off power or instruct driver to stop. Without that info it's hard to comment

[ChillDoubt]

Carry out a similar act in a different uniform and you'd probably get Mentioned In Despatches at the very least.

[baza]

in the event of something on the track then the signal box should be informed, Network rail would then arrange to rectify the problem. Staff employed by train companies are NOT allowed on the track. Rules are in place for the protection of staff and the public.
That's the official line anyway.

[Eve]

That's what I'm wondering, hence the caveat, whether there was some other, possibly better, protocol in place.

It has been on my mind a few times with recent incidents I've helped at where there have been people on site who are in medical professions, or trained to a degree (eg fire service) as to whether it impacts on their mindset for helping out as to possible repercussions. Different in this case as he was on duty at the time though.

[baza]

No one can be electrocuted as the trains there use overhead (25000 volts) lines.

[Eve]

Sorry, should have clarified that, people on site who were not on duty at the time.

I wonder if timescale would have made any difference, as to whether enough time would have been available to stop any train enough to avoid hitting the lady.

I do understand the rationale of rules to keep employees safe like not going on the lines etc... I guess human nature overrides in some situation.

[baza]

trains leave Shoeburyness and arrive at Southend Central 7 mins later. The signal centre is in Upminster, several miles away, the days of signal boxes at each station are long gone.

[baza]

is ELVIS about to give us the current official line ?

[DaisyNonna]

Something on the track or someone on the track?

[EDDIE51]

The first action should have been to signal an emergency to stop the trains, only then should the workers have gone onto the track.

[EDDIE51]

Every station office has an alarm that sets off a signal in the drivers cab of all the trains, which then make an emergency stop. The station alarm should have been activated before anyone went onto the track. normally one person sends the alarm while others go on to the track .That did not happen here.

[baza]

EDDIE, I have no idea where you got that idea from but I can assure you that no such system operates on the Fenchurch St. to Shoeburyness line. Any communication between station staff and signaller is by phone, either office or signal post.

[baza]

^^^ there is radio communication between signaller and train driver.

[EDDIE51]

Then they phone the signaller using the emergency phone and get him to radio the train to stop before anyone goes on to the track. Most lines now have the emergency signal in the cab.

[baza]

^^^ which is what I said at 20.56, there are no emergency direct phones to the signaller on stations except those on the signal posts.

[baza]

the poor bloke is still suspended pending further enquiries. How long does it take to look at the C.C.T.V. footage.
I think the train company is waiting for the fuss to die down then sack the bloke.