Our monthly risk prevention series explores how geofencing technology can help reduce risk and prevent specific safety incidents in the railway industry, offering practical insights and strategies for creating safer and more efficient work environments. In this edition, we cover how geofencing can prevent near misses for trackside workers.
Near misses between track workers and trains remain a critical safety challenge in the railway industry. While the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) reports near miss incidents are near record lows, with approximately two per period recorded in 2023/24, they are stark reminders of the risks track workers face. Each near miss highlights the need to continuously improve safety practices to protect lives.
Understanding the causes of near misses
Live rail environments contain numerous hazards that can lead to near misses, where workers have mere seconds to avoid trains travelling at high speeds. The root causes often stem from human factors such as fatigue, daydreaming, distraction, complacency, miscommunication, or a loss of situational awareness. These issues can result in workers stepping outside of safe working limits, inadvertently putting themselves in harm’s way.
Common scenarios that increase the likelihood of near misses include:
- Accessing worksites incorrectly: Entering from unauthorised locations or at the wrong time, before the line has been blocked.
- Straying during work: Exiting defined safe work zones, especially in line blocks with open lines or during possessions.
- Remaining on track: Failing to clear the line when it reopens to traffic.
- Egressing unsafely: Deviating from pre-planned safe exit routes.
The below video from the RAIB is an example of a near miss due to a worker accessing the line block too early, in 2023 at Teignmouth Boat Yard:
Geofencing: a solution to reduce the risk of near misses
On 11th October 2024, Network Rail issued a safety bulletin endorsing geofencing for enhancing situational awareness, reaffirming its vital role in helping to reduce near miss incidents. With full approval for use on or near the line, this technology is reshaping safety measures to address the inherent risks in railway environments.
Geofencing is a proactive solution designed to reduce the risk of near misses on the railway by creating virtual boundaries, or geofences, that represent safe work areas. These boundaries are mapped using information from the Safe Work Pack (SWP) such as ELRs and miles and chains as well as safe access and egress points. Workers then wear devices that provide real-time audio and visual alerts if they approach or cross these boundaries, enabling immediate corrective action.
The below video shows how geofencing can be applied to help enhance trackside safety:
Accessing the worksite
Geofencing can be used to create a digital, birds-eye view of a worksite and as part of this, safe zones can be mapped around site access points. Onsite, wearable devices then validate entry points and notify workers if they attempt to enter a worksite from the wrong location or at the wrong time.
During work
Geofences can also create clear boundaries between safe and unsafe areas on a worksite. Devices then alert workers if they exit these limits, providing a clear warning that they may no longer be in a position of safety and to check with their COSS or supervisor.
Ensuring line clearance
Digital worksites created through geofencing can be stopped and started at any time by a competent person such as an ES or PICOP, allowing them to be synchronised with line block and possession hand back processes. So if a site were to be stopped, the geofencing device would provide an alert to anyone still on the line to notify them to move to a position of safety.
Egressing safely
Geofences can also define pre-planned egress routes, ensuring workers follow the safest path when leaving a site. Alerts are triggered on the device if workers deviate from these routes, minimising the risk of entering hazardous areas.
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A new standard for safety
Near misses on the railway can be preventable, and geofencing technology offers a solution to help eliminate these incidents from worksites and make trackside operations safer. By addressing human factors, enhancing situational awareness, and providing real-time alerts to workers, geofencing represents a significant leap forward in railway safety.
Tended’s geofencing technology is used to help reduce the risk of near misses and many other safety risks by Network Rail, Irish Rail and leading contractors such as SPL Powerlines, Siemens and Story Contracting. Visit Tended’s website or get in touch to see how geofencing can transform the safety of your worksite.
