Recommendation: USAN 006-05

Basis for Recommendation

There were two incidents of track access, involving non-urgent inspections (to civil assets and site surveys) and one incident of track access responding to a fault. The RAIU consider that further planning and supervision is required for these types of track access.

Recommendation

IÉ-IM are to introduce and implement effective management and supervisory authorisation arrangements to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that:

1. Any maintenance work not able to be done in access opportunities, for example T3 Possessions, including in response to faults and incidents, is planned and carried out in such a manner that each level of the risk control hierarchy (developed with consideration to the general principles of prevention) is demonstrably considered before the next one down is considered, including specifically line blockages using technological means of protection or warning where appropriate;
2. Where, due to other risks of physical circumstances, work cannot be carried out in any manner other than with trains running (for example urgent repairs), technological means of additional protection and/ or warning must be provided and all other precautions are taken to prevent injury; and,

Where necessary to prevent immediate risks, for example to the travelling public, and where it would be unreasonable to wait for technological means of protection and/or warning, all other precautions, including management and supervisory arrangements, are taken to prevent injury to persons working on or near the line from moving trains.