QEHS COMMUNICATION

Template Ref. No.: QSEPD-000036 Issue: 08

Date: 02/02/2011

Page: 3 of 3

BACKGROUND

A telent employee identified mice being present in the CCTV Cabinet within the

Hammersmith & City Line CER of Hammersmith Station.

INSTRUCTION

Access to the cabinet has now been prohibited until further notice due to the potential

health hazards.

INFORMATION

Health Hazards associated with mice

Mice have been identified as spreading various diseases by way of their droppings,

urine, biting and via their parasites such as fleas, mites or ticks.

The following are the most notable types of disease transmitted by mice:

Salmonellosis: Food poisoning caused by mouse droppings and urine resulting

in sickness and internal lesions.

Rickettsialpox: A bacterial disease transmitted by a mouse bite resulting in

fever, chills, headache, backache, and a spotty rash.

Tularemia: An infectious disease transmitted through the bite of various

insects carried by mice resulting in intermittent fever and

swelling of the lymph nodes.

Lyme disease: An acute inflammatory disease transmitted through the bite of

ticks carried by mice resulting in skin lesion, fatigue, fever, and

chills and if left untreated may later manifest itself in cardiac and

neurological disorders, joint pain, and arthritis

Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin; skin becomes itchy and may develop

blisters and is caused by the bites of mites from the mice.

Tapeworm Are parasitic in the intestines caused by mouse droppings.

Favus A contagious skin disease caused by a fungus called

honeycomb ringworm caused by mouse droppings.

Hantavirus: A rare type of virus carried by rodents causing severe respiratory

infections. The virus is contracted by humans through inhalation

of mice dropping dust

URGENT HSQE ALERT

Reference Number: McNAlert00168 Page 1 of 2

Date Issued: 19/11/2012 Source: NR 269

SUBJECT: Conductor Rail Heating Control Panels

Target Audience: All Managers, Supervisors and Operatives working on the Kent Sussex and Wessex

Routes

Description

Following component failures which have caused localised damage within certain Conductor Rail Heating Control Panels in

Kent, Sussex and Wessex additional protective measures have been undertaken for the 2012-13 Winter period. Certain

installations will remain switched off until they can be modified and the control panels upgraded.

All other sites will be switched on but will have the following additional precautions applied:-

• Certain Conductor Rail Heating Control Panels switched on during the current Winter Period will have a fenced

exclusion zone as shown below around the Control Panel which must not be entered whilst the equipment is switched on.

In addition to the fencing, these locations will have warning signs as shown below:-

Action:

For access to the local control panel including switching on or off of the heating, the Electrical Control Operator (ECO) shall be contacted and arrangements made for the conductor rail section supplying the control panel to be switched off.

Persons must not enter the fenced area until the ECO has confirmed this has been done.

Upon completion of any activity within the fenced area and only when all persons attending are outside that area shall

the ECO be requested to arrange for the conductor rail supplying the relevant control panel be switched on.

To undertake actual work on the panel 750v control equipment circuits or heating strip an appropriate isolation

(Procedure A, Procedure B or Temporary Isolation) in accordance with the DC Electrified Lines Instructions (NR/L3/OCS/3091) shall be undertaken.

If the panel is completely removed and disconnected from the 750v supply an isolation is not required.

As modified and updated control panels are fitted the restrictions will be lifted and exclusion fencing removed. Issued

QEHS COMMUNICATION

Template Ref. No.: QSEPD-000036 Issue: 08

Date: 02/02/2011

Page: 3 of 3

BACKGROUND

A Network Rail representative has reported a breach of the working on or near the line rule

regarding a telent Rail Maintenance technician maintaining a Train Operating Company

asset on a station platform.

As detailed within the imbedded picture, the technician was using a ladder on a platform

within the 1.25 metres of the platform edge and the positioning of the ladders could’ve meant

if he toppled side wards it could’ve lead to him falling on the track.

This requirement is detailed within GE/RT8000/HB7 Rule Book Hand Book 7 General duties

of a controller of site safety (COSS) Section 3.2 Work affecting the safety of the line:

“Using a ladder, unless secured so that it cannot fall towards the line”

INSTRUCTION

The following points are to be adhered with to ensure a repetition of this breach is removed:

· Ensure the 1.25metre rule is not broken;

· Only use a ladder or stepladder on a platform if secured, footed or if a stepladder with

the opposing feet facing the platform edge; (90 degrees to the position above)

If unable to comply with the above, stop works on the Grounds of Health and Safety

(Worksafe) and report it to your supervisor.

URGENT HSQE ALERT

Reference Number: McNAlert00167 Page 1 of 2

Date Issued: 12/10/2012 Source: Internal

SUBJECT: Scrap Cable

Target Audience: All Managers, Supervisors and Operatives

Description

We recently had an incident where it was suspected by Network Rail that cable had been stolen from one of our sites, which was in a known high cable theft area.

Following site investigation by the NR Telecoms Team it was discovered that the cable had not been stolen, but it had been cut into 4 foot lengths and left at the access gate. This was reported to the British Transport Police.

The NR Project Engineer attended site where it was discovered that installed cable was coiled up at each end ready to terminate, but left exposed. Cable off-cuts had also been thrown down an embankment adjacent to a UTX.

This was further investigated by the McNicholas project team and it was established that no trespass had in fact occurred and it was scrap cable which had been left at site, due to not having enough room in the vehicles

on completion of our works. This event resulted in the following:

• BTP attended site, took cable samples down to the forensic laboratory in London for DNA sampling; • A number of suspected vehicles were identified by the BTP and alerts went out to the local Police to search for these suspect vehicles. If these vehicles were pulled over, the occupants could have been arrested for questioning;

• Number plate recognition systems were monitored within the area; • The BTP Detective Constable cancelled a day’s annual leave because he felt he needed to progress this incident and was at the forensic laboratory with a cable offcut processing the paperwork;

• NWR local maintenance team visited site and recovered the offcuts from site. Significant costs were wasted as a result of this event, caused by site teams not dressing away coiled cable

correctly and clearing all excess cable at the end of the shift. Action

• Always ensure any installed cable is dressed away neatly and not exposed to tempt any cable theft;

• Cable off-cuts must always be removed at the end of the each shift and not left on site under any circumstances;

• Suitable arrangements must be planned to ensure sufficient vehichles available to remove the cable from site.

Prepared By: Simon Shaw, Rail HSQE Manager

Approved by: Roger Stewart, Rail Director

===========================================================================

Malicious Act at Ledburn Welfare Unit On 15th September 2012 an employee from Bletchley Delivery Unit was undertaking Engineering Supervisor duties for works in the Ledburn Junction area. The Engineering Supervisor (ES) was using the Welfare Unit at Ledburn Junction as an initial point of contact for Controllers Of Site Safety to sign in. At approximately 23:00 the ES left the mess room to use the Gents WC, when he gripped the WC outside door handle to let himself in he felt a pain to his hand. A syringe had been fixed to the inner part of the handle using Blu Tac and the needle bent upwards.

The ES sustained a puncture wound to his hand; he was taken to hospital for immediate medical attention, and was released the same night but is still undergoing medical treatment and further tests. The matter is under investigation by British Transport Police. The syringe had been fixed to the inner part of the door handle to make it harder to see at night.

Please exercise extreme care when visiting remote or little used assets. Do not leave rubbish or waste bags in or around Welfare Units where sharp items can be concealed. Report any syringes found or evidence of drug use in or around railway assets to your line manager.

Template: PLC-HSEQ-118/01

Safety Alert

Motorised Trolley Put On a Line Still Open to Traffic

Reason for Alert: Awareness for ALO working and line blockages

Target Audience: Protection Controllers, COSS’s, ES’s, IWAs (specific) PTS Holders (general)

At approximately 23:20hrs on Tuesday 9th October 2012 a workgroup was involved in a serious line blockage irregularity on the East Coast Main Line which resulted in a near miss!

A track renewal train was working on the middle (up & down fast) lines of a 4 track railway under T3 possession. Line blockages were planned to protect the adjacent (up slow) line for access to facilitate the works. These line blockages were being managed by a Protection Controller.

At 23:20, a work group with a Machine Controller amongst them placed a motorised trolley (EG04) on the open down slow line, incorrectly believing that the line was blocked, and moved it towards the access point. The Engineering Supervisor standing at a nearby crossing noticed the EG04 being approached by a train and shouted to the Machine Controller get off the line. The EG04 was removed in time for the train to pass safely.

The incident had potentially catastrophic consequences & is currently under investigation.

Action to be Taken:

Information gathered so far suggests that the Machine Controller thought that a line blockage of the down slow line was in place. The Machine Controller appears to have misinterpreted the information given to him by the Protection Controller and didn’t confirm the arrangements before acting. This is the second incident within a week concerning the set up and management of line blockages. When working with a line blockage, the requirements of Handbook 8, IWA, COSS or PC Blocking a Line must be implemented and safety critical communication protocols MUST be strictly adhered to.

When working within a line blockage (or any safe system of work):

YOU MUST make sure you properly communicate and understand the meaning of all safety related messages, whether they are delivered by phone, radio or face-to-face.

If you are receiving a message, MAKE SURE you fully understand it. YOU MUST repeat the message back so that the other person knows you correctly understand it.

Ensure you are familiar with the track layout that you will be working on and which lines are open or blocked.

Ask someone to brief you (whilst physically on site if possible) if you are not sure.

X NEVER ASSUME that line blockages are in place until you have been briefed and are confident

that you fully understand the arrangements.

See Section 9 of Rule Book Handbook 1 for more detail on communications procedure.

Source of Alert : ACJV incident

Please Display on Noticeboards and Brief Out Within 2 Working Days Issued by: Linda Salt Issue Date: 11/10/2012 Number: SA 2012 / 05 (v1)