Scotland: Engineering possession irregularity

[John Ashworth]

Engineering possession irregularity near Dunblane, Stirling, 28 October 2012

Frightening!

[Steve Appleton]

What is of interest is that:
1. In the UK it seems that every little event or incident is reported and investigated, and
2. That the results of those investigations are published so that everyone can read and learn from them.

Unfortunately a visit to the South African Railway Safety Regulator's website reveals a severe paucity of similar reports even though many incidents have been reported and investigated. The only published report currently on that website relates to the Rovos accident at Pretoria Station. See: http://www.rsr.org.za/RSR/railway_safet ... ?a=reports

This means that the ability for interested parties to read and learn from such incidents and the reports on them in the local context is non-existent.

[John Ashworth]

Thanks, Steve, for unearthing the Rovos Rail accident report. I think many people have been waiting for it but nobody seemed to notice it when it was issued!

I have posted it separately as I think it is of great interest - see http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/ ... 09&t=10269

[John Ashworth]

every little event or incident is reported and investigated

Hm. I take your point, Steve, but I would suggest that a machine/vehicle working on a stretch of line which the signallers believe is clear is not a "little" thing - potentially it is a fatal crash waiting to happen.

[Steve Appleton]

I did not directly intend to belittle this particular incident. I am aware that it was indeed serious. However if one trawls through the UK reports and investigations, one does find a number of instances of relatively "trivial" incidents that have been investigated. Of course, as we well know, accidents are rarely the result of a single factor but are often the consequence of a series of failings or incorrect actions, any one of which, had it not been present at the time, would have possibly prevented an accident or at least its compounding. It follows that trivial incidents which happen often enough could, sooner or later when circumstances compound, result in an accident.

My intention was to highlight the rather glaring differences between UK practice and the local one.

[Jacob Ossebaar]

In the Netherlands are a independent investication buraeu of the goverment . The charmain are for etlease MR Pvan Vollenhoven ,the husband of the Roal Hinnes Prinses Margriet of the Netherlands . The investicate al kinds of accidents and milleu when peaple are killed,hearth,etc . The results of the investicatet incident and the recommendaties are publicatet, and you could read it on internet .