Improving Depot Safety

‘There is no clear industry-wide picture of risk and safety performance in depots’ according to the RSSB’s most recent Annual Health and Safety Report

Given this lack of reporting and regulation, it might come as no surprise that more than 20 per cent of workforce harm and fatalities have occurred in maintenance facilities in the last five years.

Given this lack of reporting and regulation, it might come as no surprise that more than 20 per cent of workforce harm and fatalities have occurred in maintenance facilities in the last five years.

Leading safety expert, Christian Fletcher, Technical Director at Sheffield’s Zonegreen, has been striving to improve working conditions in rail depots for more than 20 years. He said: ‘We all know high speed vehicles, high voltage electricity and powerful machinery introduce significant elements of risk into the maintenance environment, but the stark findings of the RSSB show not enough is being done to focus on the safety of depot workers and provide conditions in which staff can fulfil their role without fear.’

Christian believes technology is the answer and can be used to automate and regulate depot safety, eliminating the margin for human error. As a result, he and his team at Zonegreen have developed the most advanced protection system on the market, allowing the safe and efficient control of vehicles in maintenance environments.

Protection and accountability

Zonegreen’s Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) safeguards maintenance staff from unexpected train movements via Network Rail-approved powered derailers.

Staff log onto DPPS using RFID tags, which record their location and activate the appropriate derailers. They remain in place until the operative has logged off and the road is once again opened to traffic.

Access permission for a train can only be granted by a supervisor, who uses a conveniently positioned road end control panel. They are usually situated next to depot doors, giving a clear view of incoming and outgoing vehicles. If the derailer has been lowered, the signal to proceed will be given and audible and visual warnings activated to indicate movement.

DPPS can also be linked to Zonegreen’s advanced Depot Manager software, offering an overview of the entire protection system and complete traceability. It provides key information to make operations easier and quicker to implement, for example, identifying peak movement times, so additional focus can be placed on safety during these highest risk periods.

A perfect match for Wimbledon

One of the latest facilities to be equipped with Zonegreen’s state-of-the-art technology is South Western Railway’s Wimbledon Traincare Depot in London. The firm worked with Octavius Infrastructure to deliver the project, which saw DPPS replace the existing obsolete safety system. The depot remained fully operational whilst the new technology was installed on five double ended roads and two singled ended roads.

Christian continued: ‘Due to its age, state and the availability of parts, an increasing number of faults and breakdowns were occurring on Wimbledon’s former safety system, making it difficult to safeguard the workforce and carry out maintenance activities. It is crucial in such a busy depot that staff are protected by reliable and effective technology and they now have that in DPPS. It works for the facility’s current needs and is futureproofed to allow further upgrades to be integrated seamlessly.’

Zonegreen REP installed at Wimbledon Depot

Independent accreditation

DPPS is not only the most advanced safety system on the market, but also the most thoroughly tested and proven in use, meaning it is the lowest risk option for depot protection.

The whole system has been independently certified to meet both the hardware and software requirements of SIL 2 – a reliability assessment of the relative risk reduction provided by a safety system. It is also compliant with the European standards for railway and radio emissions and uses intuitive technology to make it easier to maintain, modify and expand, extending the lifetime of the product.

Gemma Houghton, Zonegreen’s Sales Director, added: ‘We sell more safety systems than all of our competitors combined and thanks to our excellent reputation and longstanding relationships with clients, DPPS is regarded as the industry standard.

‘Our dedicated research and development team, led by Christian, works non-stop to enhance our depot protection technologies and we know these efforts are making a real and lasting difference to the wellbeing of workers.’

For information about DPPS or Zonegreen’s suite of safety solutions get in touch via the contact information below.

Tel: 0114 230 0822 Visit: www.zonegreen.co.uk Twitter: @zonegreen