Safety Bulletin NRB23-09 – Trackworker near miss
OVERVIEW
On the 30th August 2023 a trackworker was less than 5 seconds away from being hit by a passing train.
At 12:22pm, the driver of train 2B93, the Lanark to Glasgow Central service, reported a near miss with a trackworker on the Down Fast West Coast Mainline, which runs adjacent to the Clydesdale lines near Glasgow.
The train was travelling around a curve at approximately 75mph when the driver saw a trackworker in the 4ft and applied the emergency brake.
The trackworker was conducting planned Basic Visual Inspections of the track within the limits of a Line Blockage on the Clydesdale Lines in accordance with the agreed Safe Work Pack (SWP).
After completing their inspections, they stepped out of the agreed line blockage limits and onto the West Coast Main Line which was open to train movements, and into the path of an oncoming train.
The trackworker managed to step back into a Position of Safety less than 5 seconds prior to the passage of the train on the West Coast Mainline, acknowledging the train warning by raising their arms.
The event is subject to investigation.
DISSCUSSION POINTS
- Please discuss this event with your team and review learning from similar events – Safety Central – Near Miss
- What do you do if you identify an infrastructure concern out with your Safe System of Work?
- What do you do to ensure that you and your team are clear on the limits of your Safe System of Work?
- Always stay within your protection limits Never work on an open line.
- Always use the safest form of protection when accessing the infrastructure.
