HSE GRANTS EXEMPTIONS TO HERITAGE/CHARTER TRAIN 'SLAM-DOOR' OPERATIONS

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HSE GRANTS EXEMPTIONS TO HERITAGE/CHARTER TRAIN 'SLAM-DOOR' OPERATIONS
09 May 2005 - HSE InfoLine

The Health and Safety Executive has granted exemptions to enable twelve heritage/charter train companies, and other operators of their Mark 1 rolling stock to continue to run stock without central door locking.

English Welsh and Scottish Railways Ltd, Fragonset Railways Ltd, Hastings Diesels Ltd, North Yorkshire Moors Railway Enterprises plc, Riviera Trains Ltd, Scottish Highland Railway Company Ltd, Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust Ltd, Railfilms Ltd, Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Limited, Northern Belle, Scottish Railway Preservation Society Railtours Ltd, Wessex Trains Ltd, West Coast Railway Company Ltd – and Network Rail as infrastructure controller in respect of such rolling stock operations - can now continue to operate such stock subject to conditions.

HSE's decision to grant the exemptions from Railway Safety Regulations 1999 followed six weeks of open public consultation on the applications. HSE said at the start of consultation that, following its independent assessment of the case made by the industry, it was minded to grant the exemptions subject to conditions. The majority of consultees, including the Rail Passengers Council, Department for Transport, London Underground Ltd as well as other parts of the industry, supported HSE's proposal to grant the exemptions.

The conditions require train companies to put in place robust risk mitigation measures before and during operation of the stock. These include on-board supervision of passenger behaviour and door safety, and a manual arrangement of secondary door locks. Some companies are fitting CDL to benefit from greater operational flexibility and require only shorter-term exemptions until CDL equipment is in place. HSE had accepted that it would not be practicable to fit CDL to Mark I rolling stock in all cases but the programme of exemptions will require the twelve companies to implement measures to manage residual safety risks, as far as reasonably practicable, in respect of slam doors.

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Britain's Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain.

The HSE looks after health and safety in nuclear installations and mines, factories, farms, hospitals and schools, offshore gas and oil installations, the safety of the gas grid and the movement of dangerous goods and substances, railway safety, and many other aspects of the protection both of workers and the public. Local authorities are responsible to HSC for enforcement in offices, shops and other parts of the services sector.

The HSC is sponsored by the Department of Work and Pensions and is ultimately accountable to the Minister of State for Work, the Right Honourable Jane Kennedy MP.

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