FirstClass Safety and Control Ltd (FCSC) designs, installs, and maintains SIL2-rated safety systems, either as a replacement/upgrade for older rail Depot Protection/Control/LOPS Systems, or for new build depots. In this guest-writer article, Director Mark Meyrick explains why he and his team avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
Advances in technology, awareness, and working practices have changed the way rail depots operate, making them safer for employees whilst protecting their assets. But there’s still work to be done; 2021 RSSB data showed that, over the last decade, incidents and accidents in depots had led to the loss of a life every two years. On-site hazards range from powerful rail vehicles to high-voltage electricity.
At FirstClass Safety and Control Ltd (FCSC), we’re working to reduce risk in depot environments. Our cutting-edge systems and procedures are developed with your workforce’s safety in mind, ensuring that rail vehicles can be moved in a safe and controlled manner. These solutions include the market’s first RFID-based Depot Protection System (DPS), which provides an alternative to outdated key exchange technology. And our combined Depot Protection System/Depot Control System (DCS) removes interfaces between train movements and employee safety – which, in turn, reduces uncertainty.
Working around operational requirements
There can be little doubt that technologies such as DPS and DCS improve depot safety. But, at FCSC, we believe these solutions should be tailored to suit a depot’s unique operational requirements. Demanding that a site change its working procedures to accommodate a new safety system isn’t just disruptive – it can also create new hazards.
Indeed, ask a depot to change the way it operates, and you’re likely to encounter resistance from employees – who may also be reluctant to engage with the new system. Rather than supplying a standard solution and expecting a depot to adapt, we believe it’s important to visit sites, speak to employees, gain an understanding of on-site processes, and develop a system that meets their needs whilst complying with local regulations.
If our team notices failings around safety, it can work with clients, helping them to change their methodologies. But, if a depot is operating effectively, it pays to work around these processes – and to consider on-site behaviours. For example, do depot employees leave the canteen after breaks and walk straight to their worksite? If so, we can install a log-on station outside the canteen to avoid disrupting their routine. Our design philosophy is all about making it easier for staff to use new technologies – finding a solution that fits.
Bespoke depot safety solutions
FCSC’s designers adapt our DCS and DPS (which can be designed to meet Safety Integrity Level (SIL 2) as required) in-house, using the Allen Bradley PLC range with Rockwell Automation software. And every depot is different – operational mentality varies, as do local rules. Some sites don’t want equipment interlocks; others are keen to see every item of equipment interfacing safely with vehicle movements. We work to develop appropriate solutions – whether that’s an intelligent system with Wi-Fi-enabled interlocks, or something less complex.
It’s an approach that results in bespoke products, like the system our team is currently designing for a Welsh depot. The client in question was keen to interlock every item of equipment that could be attached to a train, leaving nothing to chance before rail vehicle movements take place. It was an unprecedented challenge for our design team, but the system is currently in build – and should be operational by Q2, 2024.
Elsewhere, we recently developed an industry-first solution for a London depot, whose shunter pushes vehicles into a paint shop onsite. If trains are pushed too close to a traverser pit, our system Wi-Fi interlocks the shunter’s brakes, preventing accidents.
Doing things differently
These innovations demonstrate that, when it comes to depot safety, there’s room to think outside the box. Things may have been done a certain way for decades – but that doesn’t make it right. Instead, the industry should look to develop more effective solutions. We are currently working on two pieces of equipment that – once patented and approved – will help improve depot safety across the country. We’re also looking to the worldwide marketplace, and have sourced a solution around workforce safety that we feel could be adapted for the UK market.
Education is equally important. With this in mind, we offer training and support, ensuring that personnel know how to operate our DPS and DCS correctly. Ultimately, every rail depot is different, with different challenges, processes, and people. The technology that keeps staff and assets safe must reflect this.
