Our monthly risk reduction series explores how geofencing technology can help mitigate 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 help reduce the risk of protection irregularities.
Ensuring that protection equipment is placed in the correct location during possessions is critical for worker safety, compliance, and overall operational efficiency. Traditional methods of ensuring their correct placement are often reliant on paper-based plans, verbal communication, and other human factors, leading to an increased risk of human error. This can lead to protection irregularities, safety incidents and delays.
Fortunately, geofencing technology can be used during railway projects to streamline possession management, reduce the risk of human error, and improve compliance. This technology allows for real-time monitoring of protection equipment placement, ensuring that worksite marker boards (WSMBs) and possession limit boards (PLBs) are positioned accurately and consistently.
The risks of protection irregularities
Protection irregularities occur when essential protection equipment is placed in the wrong location, leading to:
- Confusion and miscommunication about the actual possession limits.
- Increased risk of teams straying onto open lines due to incorrect worksite boundaries.
- Delays and safety stand-downs while issues are identified and corrected.
- Compliance failures, resulting in costly investigations and potential penalties.
Given the high-stakes environment of railway possessions, even just small errors in protection equipment placement can have severe consequences. This is where geofencing technology comes in to address this challenge.
How geofencing can reduce the risk of protection irregularities
Geofencing assists with the placement and monitoring of protection equipment, helping to mitigate the risk of human error.
- Using an online Dashboard, the safe boundaries of a planned possession can be mapped out.
- Planned locations for PLBs and WSMBs are then plotted digitally in alignment with the safe work pack (SWP).
- Geotagging devices are assigned to protection equipment and physically attached to them before they are taken onsite.
- When a worker reaches the predefined possession limit, the device alerts them, allowing them to independently confirm and place the equipment in the correct planned location..
- The Engineering Supervisor (ES) and Person in Charge of the Possession (PICOP) can also view real-time equipment locations via the Dashboard.
- Planned versus live positions of PLBs and WSMBs are displayed on the Dashboard, allowing immediate verification of proper placement.
- Any discrepancies can be identified and corrected before work begins, preventing protection irregularities that could compromise safety.
A new standard for safe possession management
Geofencing helps mitigate the risk protection irregularities by ensuring accurate placement of equipment such as PLBs and WSMBs, reducing reliance on outdated systems and human factors. With real-time monitoring and alerts, it enhances safety, compliance, and efficiency in railway possession management. As the industry moves towards innovative safety solutions, geofencing is proving to be a valuable tool in reducing risk and improving operational efficiency.
See how else geofencing is enhancing railway safety here.
