Railway Incidents
Under what circumstances are firefighters expected / permitted (with IC approval) onto tracks?
Only as a last resort to preserve human life.
For example: persons trapped, injured, unconscious or in distress in circumstances that are a direct and immediate danger.
If a casualty is beyond assistance or humanitarian aid, then personnel are not to be placed at risk.
(Policy 316, 5.4)
Railway Incidents
Who is responsible for main line tracks, power supplies & signalling in London?
Network Rail
(Policy 316, 2.1)
Railway Incidents
List four types of rail vehicles commonly found on London’s rail networks. (Policy 316 refers to eight)
- Battery operated trains
- Electric trains (Network rail, LUL and DLR)
- Diesel electric multiple units
- Diesel electric locomotives
- Diesel locomotives
- Automatic trains
- Trams
- Steam trains
(Policy 316, 2.3)
Railway Incidents
What is a ‘Permanent way’?
The ‘Permanent way’ is a term used to describe the railway track; generally the pairs of rails, typically laid on the sleepers, embedded in ballast.
(Opsnews/powerpoints/railwayincidents -2012)
Railway Incidents
What are the two types of electrified track systems found in London?
3rd Rail System
4th Rail System (see picture)
(Policy 316, 15.2)
Railway Incidents
What voltage does the 3rd rail system work at?
Up to 1200 V DC
(Policy 316, 15.2)
Railway Incidents
What voltage does the 4th rail system work at?
Up to 630 V DC
(Policy 316, 15.2)
Railway Incidents
What voltage does Network rail’s overhead power cables supply?
Up to 25000 V AC
(Policy 316, 15.2)
Railway Incidents
What is the minimum distance that personnel need to keep from Overhead Line Equipment (OLE)?
3 metres for normal operations
However, for the pusposes of saving life, personnel and equipment must remain at least 1 metre from overhead line equipment.
(Policy 316, 4,4)
Railway Incidents
What distance does a train need to stop when travelling at approx 80mph
(Opsnews/powerpoints/railwayincidents -2012)
Railway Incidents
List some of the information that should be gained during 7(2)d visits to railway premises / locations?
- RVPS
- access points
- station control rooms (SCRs)
- traction current supply system
- intervention points (IPs)
- ventilation systems
- train types
- line speeds
- plan boxes
- Fixed installations
- Communications
- Hazardous materials
(Policy 316, 8.1)
Railway Incidents
What is RIO an abbreviation for?
Rail Incident Officer
(Policy 316, 15.7)
Railway Incidents
What is TOPS an abbreviation for?
Total Operations Processing System
(Policy 316, 4.6)
Railway Incidents
How can personnel potentilly communicate with rail staff and/or passengers?
- Track side phones
- Headwall telephones (LUL) (See photo)
- Signal post telephones (SPT) - Network Rail
- Overhead Line Equipment, gantry telephones - Network Rail
- Public address systems - LUL/Network Rail
- Leaky feeder systems -LUL.
(Policy 316, 7.1)
Railway Incidents
List some safety considerations when committing to rail lines
- high voltage power lines/cables
- speed of trains and air turbulance
- Transportation of hazardous materials
- Residual current
- Tunnels
- Trains bridging ‘live’ and ‘isolated’ sections of track or overhead cabling
- movement of trains
- correct PPE (Hi Viz)
- safety officers
- lookouts
- Uneven surfaces and tripping hazards
- Rail points - Trap hazard!
- Possible presence of asbestos
- Access/location
(though this list is exhausting, it is not exhaustive!)
(Policy 316, 4.1)
Railway Incidents
With regards to initial control measures at a rail incident, before committing crews or carrying out actions, the incident commander needs to consider what…?
Whether:
- it is safe to work on or near the track with the traction current left on
- it is safe to work near to the track with the trains running under caution
- it is safe for trains on adjacent lines to contiionue to run under caution
- diesels trains need to be stopped as they will be unaffected by isolation of the traction current
- the traction current needs to be isolated
- trains need to be stopped
- To use other risk control measures
(Policy 316, 5.1)
Railway Incidents
List the main ways of identifying an incident location
- a signal
- bridge or OLE support number plate
- ¼ mile post on track
- an electrical sub-station No
- a nearby station or crossing
(Opsnews/powerpoints/railwayincidents -2012)
Railway Incidents
Where can a short circuit device be found?
In train cabs or on station premises
(Policy 316, 4.4)
Railway Incidents
Who can deploy the Short Circuit Device?
Trained FRU or Network Rail staff
(Policy 316, 4.4)
Railway Incidents
When attending an incident involving railway arches, what could be used to gather information ?
- MDT
- Info from owner’s
- Occupiers
(Opsnews/powerpoints/railwayincidents -2012)
Railway Incidents
What is the minimum weight of attack at any fire rail related incidents
45mm Jet with covering jet
(Opsnews/powerpoints/railwayincidents -2012)
Railway Incidents
The term “trains run under caution” means?
Driver is warned that personnel are on the track and they must proceed at a speed which will enable them to safely stop the train if necessary. On long straight stretches of line when visibility is clear, trains can run at a maximum of 50 mph. On stretches of track which are obscured by bends or in bad visibility, the speed could be as low as 5 mph
(Policy 316, 5.1)
Railway Incidents
Trackside telephones are indicated by?
Red telephone on a white background marked with the word ‘ELECTRIFICATION’ and are connected directly to the rail operator’s control
(Policy 316, 7.2)
Railway Incidents
Signal post telephones are marked with what?
Diagonal black and white stripes and are connected to the signal box. Extreme caution is to be used at all times if using these telephones
(Policy 316, 7.3)
Railway Incidents
What facilities afforded by the Station Control Room (SCR) and the SCR personnel will assist in determining the means by which an incident can be managed, these facilities are?
- location
- alternative access/egress
- CCTV
- public address systems.
(Policy 316, 8.5)
Railway Incidents
When attending incidents on LUL premises, incident commanders should consider the following …
- Close liaison with a responsible member of staff
- Committing a reconnaissance team
- The use of station plans
- Use of the station control room
- Consider the use of secondary access routes and intervention points
- Assess water supplies
- Consider the use of ventilation systems
- Consider the use of communication links, CCTV and public address systems and leaky feeder
(Policy 316, 9.1)
Railway Incidents
When dealing with incidents at LUL, The following risk control measures may be available and should also be considered?
- Automatic sprinklers
- Hydrants and hose reels
- Smoke extraction
- Wet falling mains
- Extinguishers
- Escalator sprinkler system
- Use of intervention points
- Use of tunnel smoke control systems
- Use of train without passengers for reconnaissance
- Use of thermal image camera
(Policy 316, 9.2)
Railway Incidents
The following risk control measures may be considered with regard to passenger safety at LUL incidents?
- Preventing trains from stopping at affected stations
- Disembarking passengers at adjacent stations
- Using trains to evacuate areas below the incident
- Stopping trains at other stations
(Policy 316, 9.3)
Railway Incidents
All LUL sub surface stations are provided with an LFB plans box situated in an agreed position at the LUL/LFB rendezvous points. The boxes contain?
- Two sets of station plans (command and control/BA)
- A communications status indicator, and where necessary
- A key to adjacent IV points
(Policy 316, 9.6)
Railway Incidents
All LUL sub-surface stations have a permanently live UHF channel radio base station system installed. It allows communication between two or more hand held fireground radios when switched to what channel?
Channel 5
(Policy 316, 9.9)
Railway Incidents
What emergency equipment is carried in train locker and how is identifed?
- One ‘ARCUS’ short circuit devices (SCD)
- One passenger detraining ladder
- One detraining board, for emergency transfer of passengers between two trains. This locker is marked with a green and white sign and can be accessed using a key held by the PSA (Train Captain)
(Policy 316, 11.6)
Railway Incidents
What type of electrified track sysytem would you expect to find on LUL tracks?
4th Rail system
(Opsnews/powerpoints/railwayincidents -2012)
Railway Incidents
On first attendance at a rail incident what is the minimum safe distance that firefighting personnel should be from the track?
3 Metres
(Policy 316, 4.4)
Railway Incidents
Where Brigade lookouts are required at railways incidents, lookouts should ensure what safety measures ?
- wear Hiviz jacket
- remain in constant radio contact with the safety officer, have a whistle
- position themselves in such a way as to allow themselves as to give crews working on or near the line maximum warning
- Inform the IC of their location and distance form the incident and agree distances before taking up posiotion
- a lamp (in the hours) of darkness
- stand in line of sight at least 3m from the track facing the on coming trains
- be aware of automatic train operaion
- warn brigade personnel of approaching trains
- warn approaching trains that personnel are on the line by holding hands straight above head or, in darkness, by waving a light violently from side to side
(Policy 316, 5.7)
Railway Incidents
There may be circumstances when, in order to attempt to preserve human life, Incident Commanders may need to commit crews to the track. In such circumstances a PRIORITY message should be sent to Brigade Control. What details must be included in this message?
the location and nature of the incident
if trains need to be stopped
if trains need to be run at caution
If traction current isolation is required
The action that the Incident Commander is initiating.
(Policy 316, 5.5)
Railway Incidents
If the IC decideds it necessary for the traction current to be isolated / or trains stopped, a priority message must be sent requesting current be isolated between two known locations. What must the IC also inform Brigade Control of?
The precise reasons for this request must be given.
(Policy 316, 6.1)
Railway Incidents
How is an LUL LFB plans box accessed?
- With use of an LFB 14 key carried on pumping appliances.
(Policy 316, 9.7)