Rail

Network Rail Wales & Borders

How Network Rail Wales and Borders uses Tended’s geofencing technology for trackside maintenance

Background

Network Rail Wales and Borders is working in partnership with Transport for Wales as part of a £5bn railway transformation. This requires continuous improvement of the infrastructure throughout Wales and its borders.

Much of this work requires teams to be operating next to open lines and so, for these teams safety is of the utmost importance. Whilst safety protocols exist, the consequences of human error and the risk of workers inadvertently deviating onto open lines means that Network Rail is constantly looking to improve standards for those working on essential upgrades.

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Solution

Key examples of where Tended’s system has been applied

Tended’s Wearables have been used by teams conducting routine patrols and de- vegetation activities next to adjacent open lines running up to 90 mph. Teams of between 4 and 6 used Tended’s system without any extra physical separation.
Network Rail teams also applied Tended’s technology to help place possession limit boards (PLBs) and WSMBs by attaching Tended’s devices to this equipment and monitoring their location on the Dashboard.

Results

Tended’s technology has helped enhance safety and efficiency by:

Giving workers a confirmatory alert when accessing the infrastructure, indicating that they had entered the worksite at the correct access point.
Creating a safe zone a 2 m distance away from the adjacent open lines, helping to ensure workers were immediately notified if they left safe working limits.
Giving support to the Site Warden by providing an extra layer of protection to their teams.
Helping to keep individuals working alone within safe working limits during patrols and inspections.
Allowing teams to plot the exact location of PLBs and WSMBs on the Dashboard.
Helping with the accurate placement of PLBs and WSMBs by giving a live view of them on the Dashboard, allowing users to compare live versus planned locations.

Steve Hood, Programme Manager for Safe & Effective Working said:

“Using Tended’s geofencing technology has enabled us to provide additional protection for our trackside teams when working alongside adjacent open lines. If we are working next to lines with trains travelling at high speeds without any barriers or fencing, we need to be confident in the safety systems we have in place.

“Tended has provided additional peace of mind in these situations, letting workers know instantly if they were to leave safe working areas, helping to prevent anyone approaching an open line. We’ve been impressed with the accuracy of Tended’s technology and how our teams have responded to it, buying into its ability to help keep them safe.”