Rail depot specialist, Zonegreen, is calling for more to be done to improve safety in European maintenance facilities, as there has been no clear progress in recent years.
The world-leading provider of depot protection solutions, which is part of the Sentric Safety Group, has signed the European Railway Safety Culture Declaration, but wants to see rail operators be more proactive.
Organised by the European Union Agency for Railways, the declaration has already been signed by more than 400 organisations, committing to improve the region’s safety culture. However, last year’s EU Report on Railway Safety and Inoperability in the EU found there had been “no clear progress in reducing railway casualties in absolute terms,” and that employee fatality rates showed an increasing trend.
Christian Fletcher, Zonegreen’s head of engineering, said: “Although the European declaration demonstrates a willingness to improve rail safety, progress so far is slow and inconsistent. The installation of train protection systems is widely considered one of the most effective ways to make a difference, yet several still in use within the EU are obsolete and have low reliability levels.”
The Zonegreen Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) automates safety procedures, removing the margin for human error. This allows the safe and efficient control of vehicles in a maintenance environment and significantly reduces the risks faced by staff.
Christian added: “Regardless of training and experience, individuals working in dangerous environments, such as rail depots, can become the victim of unexpected events or the mistakes of others. Investing in the latest technology helps rail depots promote positive attitudes to safety and increase the efficiency of their operations.
“Maintenance facilities as far afield as Australia are already protected by our tried and tested solutions and we believe they could be widely beneficial to those who have shown a willingness in the Safety Culture Declaration to reduce European railway worker casualties and fatalities.”
Sentric Safety Group also supplies a range of interlocking systems to restrict access to hazardous areas and equipment in maintenance facilities, and prevent unauthorised train movements.
For more information about Zonegreen’s suite of rail depot protection solutions, telephone +44 (114) 230 0822, visit www.zonegreen.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn: Zonegreen Ltd.
