01.11.14
Network Rail launches Site Access
Source: Rail Technology Magazine Oct/Nov 2014
Last year’s launch of the Sentinel card system has triggered big steps in using new technology and introduced new ways of working for all rail workers in the UK. In its latest initiative, Network Rail is launching Sentinel Site Access across the entire network. Angi Bell, Sentinel project manager for Site Access, explains the latest enhancement.
Network Rail’s commitment to keeping staff safe has again been recently highlighted by our refreshed ‘Lifesaving Rules’. This extends to ensuring that fatigue is properly managed so that our edict of ‘everyone home safe, every day’ is more achievable. Specifically, the new technology provides a clear pathway to reducing the acute danger of double-shifting.
Sentinel Site Access will, for the first time, give the industry the ability to know when track workers have entered and left the rail infrastructure as well as recording when key events have occurred.
Key events
There are a number of ‘key events’ that are an integral part of working on our rail infrastructure, such as site inductions, acknowledging a safety brief, or using a particular competency, as well as recording any mentoring, observations, surveillance and driving activities.
The big change will be that track workers will swipe on and swipe off every time they start and finish a shift. One of the key benefits this provides is providing a ‘location’ of work for an individual, so that in the event of an incident/accident the emergency services can get to the right place very quickly.
The perils of double-shifting
We know that fatigue has the potential to kill. At present we have no way of recording whether a track worker has just come off an eight-hour shift somewhere else or driven for several hours just to get to the site. Sentinel Site Access will capture travel and booked shift time at the time of swiping in and anticipated travel times to a place of rest at the time of swiping out. For the first time we will have simple fatigue information at our fingertips. Controllers of Site Safety, Safe Work Leaders or whoever is responsible for site safety will be made aware of excessive working practices.
Track workers will be able to take more responsibility for their own working hours and be furthered empowered through Sentinel to say ‘no’ if asked to undertake extra hours that are putting themselves and others at risk.
Other benefits
There are more safety benefits to be had. The new functionality of ‘swipe off’ enables individuals to declare via their Sentinel card that they have left the infrastructure safely. In addition, it can prompt a safety conversation if time away from the infrastructure indicates that a person may be attempting to double-shift and so put colleagues at risk.
What Sentinel Site Access doesn’t do
It is very important to clarify the misconceptions that arise whenever a new approach is introduced. It does not track or trace an individual’s location or use GPS technology to identify where someone is. There is also no linkage to any payment systems to affect a worker’s salary or to measure an individual’s performance when using a competence.
It is really important to emphasise that this new system does not replace the requirement to have someone responsible for track safety on site at all times.
The information provided by the new system will be strictly controlled so that it can only be viewed by key safety personnel who are responsible for track workers’ health and wellbeing.
A big change for the rail industry as a whole
A major step change will be required and so, as with the introduction of new Sentinel last year, we are engaging with all parts of the rail industry to discuss the enhancements, current and future working practices and what the industry needs in terms of support during these changes.
We will continue this engagement through to the end of the year and into 2015 as we continue to develop new capabilities for Sentinel.
Sentinel Site Access will ‘go live’ in January 2015. I firmly believe that this will raise the safety bar by several notches and again demonstrate that Network Rail is seriously committed to protecting everyone who works on our infrastructure.
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