Be Safe Brief October 2022: Rail

Hello, welcome to the October Be safe brief.

Congratulations to this month’s See it, share it, winner, Navinder Chumber whose action reflected our value “We look after each other” by ensuring hazardous areas are adequately demarked. Thank you Navinder.

Our four be safe rules

Our four Be Safe rules aim to ensure you go home safely every day.

* Be fit for work

* Get a brief before you start work

* Report anything unsafe

* Stop work if anything changes

If you feel you cannot work to these four be safe rules, please stop and tell your line manager.

Lessons learned from injuries

One thing identified from recent VGC injuries was the opportunity to stop work when something had changed was not acted upon. If you believe that something is not quite right/does not reflect the planned works please stop work and allow it to be reassessed.

Client issued safety alert: Vegetation clearance

A couple of safety alerts have recently been issued by our clients on using tools to clear vegetation near OLE equipment. A recent incident involved two team members receiving electric shocks when the OLE was made contact with. The investigation identified the OLE had not been given  an earthed isolation but merely switched off resulting in some residual current being present.

Another incident involved another vegetation clearance team member receiving a deep wound whilst clearing embankment vegetation against a metal palisade fence. The power tool blade made contact with the fence causing a kick back resulting in the operative receiving the injury. Whereas the investigation continues one aspect is focusing on the operative’s standard PPE which would not protect the individual.  When using these type of tools ensure the SSOW pack identifies what PPE must be worn and it is available for you.

Client issued safety alert: Improvised explosive device (IED)

We have received a safety alert to be communicated to all operatives working on the rail infrastructure. During a site walk out a team identified an IED (home made bomb) in the 4 foot. As the team moved to a place of safety another IED was seen in the 6 foot. An emergency call was made to deal with this incident.

The safety alert identifies the following actions to be taken by all persons working on rail infrastructure.

1. Be vigilant – if something doesn’t look right, report it to “Control” immediately.
2. Consider downloading the Network Rail “Be Aware” app that provides guidance for these situations.
3. Have you completed the mandatory “Counter Terrorism and Security on the Railway” training course?
4. If something doesn’t look right or you have an urgent concern dial 999 or BTP on 61016.

Observations

Observations are a way for you to communicate with the company on issues you see and we review every observation that comes in to BeSafe@vgcgroup.co.uk. Where appropriate we will take forward to Clients. Where our HSQE team are made aware of observations and good practice we can share this information with clients to promote good practice or suggest improvements to an area that they may not have identified themselves.

Each month, VGC select a “See It Share It” winner from all of the observations that we receive. This is awarded to the person who identified an issue along with a positive action to rectify.  These can be submitted to our besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk email.

Please contact your VGC line manager or VGC’s HSQE department if you have any concerns. To find out more about observations, please visit Observations – VGC Group