Virtual Reality for Signal Engineers

Complacency leads to accidents, then devastating consequences. Signal Engineers need to make sure they don’t get complacent. Keeping the consequences at the front of their mind is key

Complacency leads to accidents, which can in turn be followed by devastating consequences, the likes of which don’t need to be spelt out to anyone working in the Rail Industry. Many of us have driven cars for years and can appreciate how we can easily get complacent when driving. It is the same for Signal Engineers, particularly those who are doing maintenance.

They are often going out each week performing the same tasks repeatedly.

It is very easy to get complacent and have shortcuts or not check their work thoroughly. However, this is one of the most difficult things to counteract. Most of them have had good training and when tested know how to do it correctly. This doesn't mean that they do it every single time they go out onto the track. It only takes one occasion where it's not perfect for an accident to happen.

Engineers who have been at rail accidents have experienced how devastating it can be and don’t need to be told about complacency. However, getting this across to the majority of engineers who have never see a crash is much more difficult. Obviously, you cannot send engineers out onto the track to see a real train crash. This can only be done in the virtual world. That's why PM Training and Assessing created a Virtual Reality system for Signal Maintenance Engineers, where they can do their tests in the virtual world and see what happens if they don't get it right.

The Aspect Test has a signal on track that allows the signaller to climb and then slip the links to change the aspect. They have their list of checks to do and the trainer can act as the Signaller. If they do not perform all of their checks in the correct order, then the trainer does not tick them off on the system. At the end of the test the trainer can run a train through that piece of track and if they didn't do their tests correctly the train will crash in front of them. This includes all of the sounds that go with that, to make it as real as possible. They are then taken into a darkened room and shown all of the headlines from previous rail crashes, to bring home that they would be in the headlines of the newspapers the next day.

This is an effective way to affect the engineers’ emotions, so that it is in the forefront of their mind each time they go out. They can also pass this on to their colleagues they are working with, so that good practice is spread among the whole team.

PM Training and Assessing is now developing and extending this to include the Points Test, so that this test can be undertaken in the same way. If they don't complete their checks correctly, then when the train runs through it will derail in front of them.

We can give engineers all the technical skills in the world but ensuring that they put them into practice every single day is much harder to achieve. This is one way in which PM Training and Assessing is endeavouring to ensure that complacency doesn’t take hold.

Engineering is often seen as a very hands-on activity that can't be used for virtual reality. Which is true to some extent for practical skills, but the challenge in the currently climate is to change how engineers think and feel and about their work, which is a much more difficult proposition.

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