Executive summary
On Wednesday 26 May 1999, at approximately 0730 hours, a rake of empty log wagons was being propelled from the Kinleith railway yard into Carter Holt Harvey Limited's siding when the leading wagon hit the "bull-bars" of a logging truck parked foul of the running road. The remote control operator who was on the leading wagon jumped clear just prior to the collision but stumbled and fell against the wagon and was dragged for approximately 10 m before rolling clear. He received broken ribs and abrasions as a result of the accident. Causal factors were the positioning of the truck foul of the running road and the lack of adequate control of the shunt. Safety issues addressed in this report include the lack of a suitable integrated operational agreement for the site and the effectiveness of the current procedures, training, and compliance monitoring of shunting practices to ensure safe operation. Five safety recommendations were made to the operator.
Related Recommendations
Liase with CHH and incorporate procedures in the "Railway Operating Plan" which control CHH operations (and its subsidiaries) adjacent to the rail tracks to ensure safe integrated operations.
Reinforce the training and increase the compliance monitoring of RCO's to ensure they are positioned and operate in such a manner that a combination of: "range of vision" normal operating distractions shunting speed maintain an acceptable factor of safety with respect to possible collision.
Amend existing code instructions and training procedures for the operation of remote control locomotives to ensure they include a definition of what constitutes "adequate" when describing "range of vision" with particular regard to speed and the need to stop in a distance related to the clear distance seen ahead.
Take steps to ensure propelling movements are carried out from a safe position to control movements by line of sight, including the use of a second man when line of sight is restricted.
Reassess the desirability of permitting shunting staff to ride on the deck of certain wagons, and in particular for RCO's to control shunt movements from such a position.