Two rail staff involved in ‘near miss’ with train in Mayo
The staff were working on the railway line under Red Zone Working conditions.
Two rail staff members were involved in a “near miss” on the railway line between Ballyhaunis and Castlerea last month, according to a new report from the Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU).
The report found that the two employees had accessed the railway line under Red Zone Working conditions.
At approximately 13:10, a passenger service travelling from Westport to Dublin Heuston approached the two staff members as it travelled between Ballyhaunis and Castlerea.
The train driver sounded the horn after seeing the employees on the line, alerting them to the approaching train. The staff members moved to a position of safety approximately four to five seconds before the train passed.
The driver subsequently applied the emergency brake, bringing the train to a stop. The RAIU confirmed that neither staff member was injured in the incident.
In its safety bulletin, the RAIU reiterated a number of existing recommendations aimed at reducing the risks associated with Red Zone Working.
The RAIU also recommended that maintenance work be planned in accordance with the hierarchy of risk controls. This means that safer methods of working should be considered and implemented where possible before staff are required to work under Red Zone conditions.