Checking that freight vehicles are safe to go onto the rail network is not an easy task. It's work that's often done in difficult conditions, and the consequences of mistakes can be costly. The role of ground staff in freight depots and yards has changed dramatically over recent years. The conditions in which they work, in freight depots and yards where they carry out their vital and often challenging work, need to be improved.
Dave Ethell and Devon Johnson, Operational Risk Manager at Freightliner Group, talk about the work they are doing to assure the condition of freight vehicles that go onto the rail network.
01:53 About Devon.
02:34 About Dave.
04:07 About the Condition of Freight Vehicles on the Network (CFVN) Working Group.
05:39 How the freight sector has engaged, and the various stakeholders collaborate.
06:42 The CFVN project's strategic activities, and two core workstreams.
08:28 How the train preparation and loading workstream has been structured. Survey responses from freight ground staff as they engage in the project.
10:33 Open and honest ground staff describe situations and propose solutions.
11:29 Some of the specific themes that came out.
13:58 Training for ground staff roles. Better non-technical skills and working facilities. Two quick wins.
16:40 What the CFVN Working Group will do with the data.
18:16 Hopes for the project—reducing delays, standardising preparation and loading procedures.
These resources may be of interest:
Leading Health and Safety on Britain's Railway – freight derailment chapter https://www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-health/leading-health-and-safety-on-britains-railway/freight-derailment
Annual Health and Safety Report 2020-21 https://www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-health/risk-and-safety-intelligence/safety-performance-reports
RAIB: Summary of learning – 5. Freight train derailments (see Section 3.2) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-learning-5-freight-train-derailments/summary-of-learning-5-freight-train-derailments