Trains remain a relatively safe way to travel. However, incidents do still occur, with derailments, natural disasters, and equipment failures all continuing as threats. As a result, it remains important for rail companies and organizations to maintain a robust emergency response system, covering all possible eventualities, according to Railway Technology.
Uniquely, with rail’s improving safety record in recent years, a particular concern is ensuring emergency responders remain ready in their training. “It is a paradox that the safer we are as a system, the less experienced our people become at managing a major incident, so we train hard to practice contingencies,” James Nattress, director of incident management and operational security for Britain’s Network Rail told Railway Technology. To help counter this reduction in opportunities for skill deployment, Nattress says, “We have created a safety checklist that all people attending a scene run through to ensure as far as possible our people all know the scope of works, the possessions, the safety regime and understand who is in charge.”
For the cases when deploying their skills is necessary, rail organizations are increasingly working on easing communication. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) deployed an app in 2014 called AskRail, which provides emergency responders with immediate access to information on any hazardous materials a rail car may be carrying. The app is currently being used throughout the U.S., as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.
Says Clayton Miller, Railinc product manager, of the app, “In the older days, you have would have a placard and sometimes stripes indicating the most dangerous materials on a railcar, so at a distance, first responders would know to stay back and not approach the train. Stripes are no longer used, and placards can get damaged or obstructed in an incident, but now first responders can see the car number, enter that into AskRail from a distance before they approach and get information about all the materials on the train”.
Source:
https://www.railway-technology.com/features/emergency-response-in-rail-disasters/
