Track worker struck from behind by ‘restricted view’ rail vehicle

A man suffered a leg injury after being struck by a vehicle working on the Midland Main Line in Leicestershire [1]. An independent report has called on track workers to closely follow Network Rail's "lifesaving rules" after a series of similar incidents. The man, who was a track worker at Braybrooke, near Market Harborough [2], was struck from behind by a Road Rail Vehicle (RRV) as he was directing the movement of another RRV on an adjacent line.

There were several RRVs working at the scene in the early hours of the morning installing new overhead line equipment as part of the Midland Main Line electrification project at the time the collision took place. The incident left the track worker with a leg injury that required hospital treatment [3]. An independent investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) was launched and found how the track worker was not seen because of a restricted view caused by the RRV's design.

The report found that the collision took place in darkness as staff at the "rural location"[5] operated under the use of the machines' lights, while workmen also used head torches. A supervisor was overseeing the installation works at the time of the collision, while a second person was in place to co-ordinate the use of the RRVs which were working on two parallel tracks. Investigations found that the RRV which hit the man comprised a basket in which its operator stands to raise or lower it to access the overhead lines.

It is a process that is followed whether the RRV is moving along the track or when it is stationary. However, the report found that when working on the RRV, the operator had a "restricted view of the track ahead" due to the design of the machine which sees a boom and body obscure the view [6]. It is not the first time that a restricted view led to injuries on the rails according to the RAIB.

In 2018, it said one track worker suffered life-changing injuries after a ballast distributor collided with a vehicle carrying staff in Cheshire. The view was especially restricted as the distributor was being driven in reverse at the time.

The RRV involved was similar to this one (Image: SPL Powerlines UK Ltd)

A second person also suffered life-changing injuries in 2021 after an incident in Essex when an RRV, operating as a crane, hit an elevating platform. A report found the operator had to look out of the side of the crane to get a look after their initial view was restricted by the "dazzling" sun.

In Leicestershire, correct procedures were followed in the event of a restricted view, with a ground machine controller used on all RRVs at the time of the accident. However, the incident happened after a Network Rail [7] mandated exclusion zone around the RRV was not adhered to. The mandate makes clear no-one can enter the zone in a bid to "prevent staff from walking into blind spots".

They can only access it if given permission by the machine operator, but confusion happened in Braybrooke when one machine controller walked ahead of the adjacent RRV without realising it had been given the go-ahead to move by its own machine operator. This meant he entered the exclusion zone of the moving RRV and was then hit from behind as the operator did not see him. A full accident report was not required by the RAIB who found that staff need to maintain positions offering a "good view" and that they all need to be aware of "machine movements".

The independent report also called for better "maintaining" and "controlling" of exclusion zones around RRVs and other on-track machinery. The report also called on staff to follow Network Rail's previously stated "lifesaving rules". These include never entering the agreed exclusion zone "unless directed to do so by the person in charge".

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References

^ Leicestershire (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Market Harborough (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ leg injury that required hospital treatment (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Major town road to shut for eight weeks to build new roundabout (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ "rural location" (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ due to the design of the machine which sees a boom and body obscure the view (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Network Rail (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)