An accident where a rail worker was struck by a passenger train near Laverton station in Victoria shows why it’s essential workers follow safeworking rules and procedures when working on or near railway tracks.
A report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found that on the morning of 2 October, 2015, a track was accessed by a workgroup without an assessment of risks and without the establishment of appropriate risk controls.
This meant that not all in the group had a clear understanding of train movements that morning, nor was there a defined position of safety known to all the workers.
The ATSB found that the train was given the all clear to proceed prior to the supervisor moving to a position of safety, clear of all tracks. There were several breaches of safeworking procedures that, while not directly contributing to this accident, increased the risks associated with the workgroup’s activities.
On that Friday morning, track workers were assembling track-side in Laverton, Victoria. They planned to undertake dogspike removal works in preparation for re-sleepering of a section of track on the Altona Loop Line.
At around 0910, the supervisor for the works began marking the track to identify those dogspikes to be removed. He was working in a track crossover about 400m on the Melbourne side of Laverton Railway Station. A lookout had been stationed for his protection.
At about 0916, a Metro Trains Melbourne suburban commuter train arrived at Laverton station, bound for Flinders Street Station in central Melbourne. After its scheduled stop, the train departed Laverton and approached the worksite. The lookout observed the train, warned workers of its approach and signalled to the driver that the track was clear.
However, as the train took the crossover, the supervisor was foul of the track, and was struck by the train travelling at about 59 km/h. The supervisor suffered serious injuries.
The supervisor was foul of the track when the train reached his location. It is probable that he expected the train to continue along an adjacent track, and not take the crossover towards his location.
Since the incident, Metro Trains Melbourne has increased the frequency of audits of infrastructure worker compliance with safeworking procedures.
The key safety message is that working in rail corridors carries significant risks that should be mitigated by adhering to established safeworking procedures.
Read the report: Track worker struck by train, near Laverton station, Victoria, on 2 October 2015
Additional information about safe work on rail.