A train driver died at Tyseley Depot (December 2019)

[357]

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the RSSB removing the obviou# safety rule from the Rulebook, that particular rule was hammered into me when I first started

And me too.

Most of my colleagues and myself tend to go through a driving cab instead of crossing between units, especially if they are as close as reported.

There seem to be learning points for many people in that report.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

What rule exactly was removed, and why?

 

[seagull]

There was a rule in the 1950 Rule Book that said:

"Employees must not go between the buffers of vehicles or between stop blocks and the nearest vehicle when they are less than 50 feet apart, without first satisfying themselves that none of the vehicles is about to be moved and that no shunting is taking place upon the lines which they are about to cross."

Nowadays the only similar but very much summarised instruction is in the Shunting Module of the Rule Book and is addressed to shunters - in other words it's not in the General section, and it simply reads:

"You must never go between vehicles unless you are sure they will not move "

Of course part of the reason for the severe ongoing abbreviation of the Rule Book (or Train Driver's Manual in this case) is that Train Operating Companies were and are producing their own 'Working Instructions' which are effectively a company and route specific publication which turns general vague rules into very specific ones.

 

[Class 170101]

There was a rule in the 1950 Rule Book that said:
"Employees must not go between the buffers of vehicles or between stop blocks and the nearest vehicle when they are less than 50 feet apart, without first satisfying themselves that none of the vehicles is about to be moved and that no shunting is taking place upon the lines which they are about to cross."

To aid my understanding do you mean climb up into the cab walk across it and climb down on the other side?

 

[Surreytraveller]

To aid my understanding do you mean climb up into the cab walk across it and climb down on the other side?

It means do not walk between vehicles at track level

 

[John Webb]

The 1950 rule was repeated in Section B-General of the 1972 Rule Book (Para 5.3.9) and reinforced by Para 5.3.10 which said that if there was a need to go between or under vehicles, the person in charge of shunting must be informed.

The 1972 book also refers to 'Authorised Routes' for those who are not actually involved in working on the line, and that if people not working on the line walked along or crossed over tracks other than using an authorised route they "....will be acting outside their employment. Employees must use an authorised route where such exists." (Para 3.2.2 of Section B General) Does anyone know when 'Authorised routes' were introduced?