Why organisations must apply modern systems to enhance transport safety

The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work will be marked on April 28 this year. It promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally.

It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

This year’s campaign will shed light on how new technologies are transforming Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), including through the automation of tasks, the use of smart OSH tools and monitoring systems, extended reality and virtual reality, and algorithmic management of work.

As we mark this important day, we must take cognisance of the fact that railway safety is a critical aspect of transportation systems worldwide, ensuring the secure movement of people and goods.

Despite advancements in technology and rigorous safety standards, railway accidents still occur, often with severe consequences. For years, the slogan for the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) railway section has been “safety first.”

This is about maintaining the railways as a safe workplace for the federation’s members and other workers in the railway industry, as well as ensuring the safety of passengers and the general public. 

The importance of safety is best illustrated by the right of each worker to refuse to carry out dangerous work is enshrined in ILO Convention 155, Article 13: “A worker who has removed himself from a work situation which he has reasonable justification to believe presents an imminent and serious danger to his life or health shall be protected from undue consequences in accordance with national conditions and practice”. 

As with every profession, even the best-trained railway worker can make mistakes. Technical systems should be designed so that they constitute a barrier to human error.

The principle must be that no single human error is allowed to cause an accident. The higher the traffic density and speed of the train, the more advanced the technical support systems must be.

The ‘dead man’s handle’ onboard the locomotive, which stops the train if the driver becomes incapacitated, is well known.

In a modern environment, this must be supplemented with automatic train protection systems, including speed control, preventing the train from passing warning signals and from dangerous speeding.

Special attention must be given to level crossings. A collision between a train and another vehicle, for instance, usually has fatal consequences.

All the level crossings where there is potential for collisions should be equipped with automatic barriers and other preventive equipment, stopping road vehicles from crossing the track when a train is approaching.

Safety management systems should be open and transparent. Railway safety is about technical equipment and its interaction with human beings.

Every change that is made on the technical side or in the organisation of work or companies should improve safety. 

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) operations exemplify safety best practices. As of last week, the operations marked 2,875 days of safety.

The operations aim to ensure that equipment and devices are in sound condition to guarantee quality operations. This is achieved through thorough conducting of repair, maintenance and inspections before the trains leave the maintenance depots.

Afristar, the SGR operator, also provides emergency response, which guides operators on how to manage issues on the line such as floods, wildlife, fires, livestock and obstruction.

One notable way is through conducting line patrols during the rainy season to check the condition of the ground. SGR employees across all departments, workshops and stations strictly adhere to the safety measures put in place.

The employees have also been trained to conduct thorough inspections of the track, locomotive engines, and all other equipment before and after operations.

Furthermore, professionals in technical departments undergo regular training to equip themselves with adequate skills and knowledge to facilitate them during operations since the SGR is an advanced infrastructure that demands highly skilled operators, who can not only detect technical hitches but also rectify any minor details that might be a risk to the safety of the train.

Afristar also carries out crew training in emergency response and operational safety to enhance preparedness. Collaboration with law enforcement and emergency services ensures rapid response to incidents. 

The writer is a Railway Transport and Logistics Communication Specialist