Safety on the track

A station area is a workplace with heavy vehicles in motion and often current-carrying systems. It is beautiful when it goes quiet and calm — but it is also where carelessness does the most damage. Therefore safety is not something you do on top of the work; it is the work.

A wagon weighs many tons and cannot stop quickly. You must always know if something is in motion or can come into motion and you must never count on a wagon 'probably staying still'.

Many lines have live overhead wires and rails. The current here is life-threatening, and distance requirements must be observed carefully. You must never get close to live parts without clear instruction that it has been made safe.

A train must never be reported ready if there is doubt about the brakes. It is better to spend extra time on a check than to send a train off with a brake problem.

• 01Wear visible work clothing and safety footwear
• 02Keep escape routes free and know your colleagues' position
• 03Maintain distance from live parts
• 04Follow the fixed checks — never skip one

Clear agreements and clear signals keep people alive. When you shunt, everyone must know who may do what and when. Doubt is resolved by stopping, not by guessing.

“On the track, the most important rule is simple: always know your way out, and never count on something standing still by itself.”