Read this edition's RAIB report brief.
At around 20:33 on 01 February 2022, a passenger train struck and killed a train driver who’d got out of the cab of a Class 313 standing in West Worthing Middle Siding.
RAIB determined that, before leaving the train, the driver didn’t tell the guard or signaller that he intended to do so. He also didn’t request that trains on the adjacent lines be stopped. RAIB couldn’t establish exactly why he left the cab but felt it most likely that he’d done so to have a smoke or relieve himself.
Among the recommendations RAIB made was one to the operator that it should review the toilet and washing facilities which exist over all the routes it operates. It should also make sure there are enough toilet and washing facilities available, that traincrew know where they are, and that they have time to use them.
RSSB published research on toilets provision for traincrew in March 2022. The report noted that – of 11 drivers interviewed – only three said ‘they had not used a bag or bottle in the cab for an emergency comfort break. However, one of the three admitted to urinating from a cab and one of using the side of the tracks’. And what did the women do? It’s not 1975, for goodness’ sake!
The report added there can be issues with leaving locomotives for emergency relief, isolation and security issues. There are even dehydration problems, some feeling it better to avoid the need to go by not drinking water. But that can bring fatigue, anxiety and distraction.
The need for employers to provide adequate healthcare facilities is enshrined in the Health and Safety at Work Act. In April 2022, RSSB published a guide to the risks around inadequate welfare facilities and explores a range of welfare provision options available to the railway.
The operator in this case later developed a plan to improve access to welfare facilities on the route where the incident occurred. This included reviewing the timetable to ensure there are adequate toilet break opportunities during turnarounds. The company also briefed drivers to point out the safety risk involved in driving distracted while needing the toilet, and that they will not be penalised for delaying a train by taking an emergency toilet break if they need one.
A survey also revealed that some toilet facilities away from the main crew relief locations were not always known to traincrew. An information pack about welfare facilities was produced as a result.
RAIB found that the maintenance tester at Dalwhinnie needed to self-isolate as he had Covid-19 symptoms.
The Clapham accident – which led to the deaths of 35 people – was caused in part by fatigue. The signalling technician in that case only had one day off in almost 13 solid weeks of work. RAIB found that the maintenance tester at Dalwhinnie had needed to self-isolate as he had Covid-19 symptoms. His section manager knew but didn’t know that the tester later started to suffer from general tiredness, memory loss and concentration issues. In short, the tester thought he was coping.
The long-term effects of Covid are yet to be fully understood, but it’s clear that it will impact on the fatigue question the industry has been trying to answer since Clapham. To find out more, search ‘fatigue’ on the RSSB’s website, www.rssb.co.uk
To read RAIB’s full report, including the recommendations, search on ‘RAIB West Worthing’ in your chosen search engine.
Main article image courtesy of L1v3rp00I, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
