Sydney Trains’ work-planning process, involving multiple work groups, did not assure the consideration of worksite safety for all tasks undertaken by each involved party over the duration of the work and when returning the rail infrastructure into service.
The ATSB is satisfied that once implemented, all maintenance work parties can complete maintenance work in the planned maintenance windows. There remains an opportunity for maintenance work, such as booking points out and back in to occur outside of the planned maintenance windows. However, it remains a responsibility of the Protection Officer to follow the rules and ensure they protect themselves as required.
Sydney Trains established a Post-Incident Assurance Group (PIAG) to respond to the incident. This group established key focus areas to promote the safety of workers and avoid future incidents.
To address this safety issue, a key focus area on ‘planning for maintenance work’ was established which was aimed at providing safer and more effective options to allow work to be carried out in the rail corridor.
Under a specific project (Maintenance Access Planning Project), integration of planned maintenance windows with the “daily working timetable” will see maintenance work, such as the maintenance work carried out in this incident, taking place during a planned maintenance window, which would be free from rail traffic during that time.
