scope:

This guidance will be used for all investigations relating to high potential track access incidents. High Potential Incidents are defined as below:

Engineering Hours

• Staff accessing the track when traction current is still on and before the last train.

• Staff on track have walked into area that was not booked with the TAC, and therefore they have no protection.

• Staff have booked and taken protection but taken no consideration of traffic on adjacent roads.

• Traction current was switched on early before the published time at start of traffic and before the TAC has passed a Line Clear or Line Safe message to the power control room operator.

Possessions and specified areas

• Staff on track are endangered by a moving train or mechanised vehicle. e.g. A train or mechanised vehicle moves when the operator is unaware of staff in its path or when the staff on track are unaware that a train or mechanised vehicle is moving towards them.

• Staff on track have walked into an area that is not under possession and are in danger of being hit by a moving train or mechanised vehicle.

Traffic hours

• Staff on track who are not in a place of safety as a train passes them

• Staff who were in the process of getting to a place of safety but caused a train operator or mechanised vehicle operator to take evasive action to reduce the speed of their train to avoid a collision

• Staff on track who haven't informed the controller of the area of track they have accessed.

Depots and sidings

• Staff on track who are not in a place of safety as a train or mechanised vehicle passes

• Staff who were in the process of getting to a place of safety but caused a train operator or mechanised vehicle operator to take evasive action to reduce the speed of their train or mechanised vehicle to avoid a collision.

Purpose

The purpose of this guidance is to ensure high potential track access protection incidents are thoroughly and consistently investigated. Good incident investigation will identify immediate and causal factors after thorough analysis of the events proceeding the incident. Once the immediate and causal factors are identified objective and appropriate recommendations can then be made.