Train company fined thousands after volunteer falls and breaks leg
A Welsh railway company has been fined thousands of pounds after a volunteer fell from a carriage roof and broke their leg. The incident happened at a yard owned by Carmarthenshire-based Gwili Railway.
The company operates vintage train rides from its base in Bronwydd and has recently opened a station on the edge of Carmarthen[1]. It offers passengers several outings including cream tea journeys and family days out during Halloween and Christmas[2]. You can keep up to date with the latest Carmarthenshire[3] news by signing up to the local newsletter here[4].
On June 16, 2022, a volunteer was taking part in a task to pull fabric over a frame which was erected over two railway coaches. During this exercise - carried out at the company’s Llwyfan Cerrig Yard - the volunteer slipped and fell to the ground from the top of a Mark 1 coach. They suffered a broken right leg which required an operation, resulting in several days of hospital treatment.
Following the incident, the Office of Rail and Road started an investigation and an inspector for the industry regulator served Gwili Railway with a Prohibition Notice on June 28, 2022. An investigation found that there was a lack of planning, management and supervision of the specific task, that no measures had been put in place to protect against a fall from the carriage roof, and that none of the volunteers had competence in working at height. It was also found that a ladder used by the volunteer who was injured was in poor condition and not fit for use.
The Office of Rail and Road also said that work was carried out over several days and, as a consequence, the risk of falling from height was present for a sustained period, with several volunteers and one Gwili Railway employee exposed to this risk. Ian Prosser, HM chief inspector of railways at the Office of Rail and Road, said: “Working at height accidents are too frequent in the heritage sector and Gwili Railway Company Ltd is fortunate its inadequate measures did not result in more serious injury. We strongly encourage each company to ensure that work activities involving work at height are properly planned to ensure the risk of harm is minimised.”
References
- ^ Carmarthen (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Christmas (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Carmarthenshire (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ signing up to the local newsletter here (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Street left patchy after road is resurfaced around parked cars (www.walesonline.co.uk)