Preventing Objects on the Line Incidents with Geofencing

Preventing Objects on the Line Incidents with Geofencing

The railway industry is one of the largest and most complex industries in the world, and Safety is a critical issue for all stakeholders involved. Despite efforts to ensure safety in railway operations, incidents involving objects on the line still occur, causing damage to equipment and infrastructure.

However, technology is now playing a crucial role in enhancing safety and preventing incidents related to object placement on railway lines. From geofencing technology to virtual and augmented reality training, new innovations are being developed to improve the safety of railway operations and prevent accidents.

In this article, we will delve into the latest geofencing technologies that are being used to prevent objects being left on the line following work activities and explore the ways in which they are helping to reduce the number of incidents on railway lines.

The Scale of the Safety Challenge

Safety is incredibly important in the railway industry, as it affects the well-being of workers, the public, and the success of railway operations. According to statistics from the UK’s Office of Rail and Road, in the year 2020-2021 there were 1,261 recorded incidents of objects “fouling” the track, which is a 3.4% increase from the previous year. This includes objects left on the track, but also objects falling from trains, and objects on nearby land or property that end up on the track. These incidents can cause delays, damage to trains and infrastructure, and even pose a risk to safety if a train collides with an object on the track.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) reports that, between April 2019 and March 2020, there were 114 collisions between trains and objects on the line, which resulted in 2 fatalities and 3 serious injuries. In addition, there were 19 derailments caused by objects on the line during the same period, which resulted in 7 fatalities and 8 serious injuries.

From April 2021-March 2022, there were 329 non-potentially high-risk train accidents (PHRTAs) on the mainline. This was largely attributed to a rise in trains ‘striking animals’ and ‘striking or running into other objects’, which together made up 72.9% of all non-PHRTAs.

The RSSB also reports that over the past decade, objects on the line have caused an average of 42 delays per day, with a total delay time of over 1.4 million minutes per year. This has a significant impact on the efficiency and reliability of railway operations, as well as causing frustration and inconvenience for passengers. Typical objects struck, include track trolleys and marker boards which can be inadvertently left in place following track works. These statistics highlight the importance of ensuring the safety of object placement on the railway lines and the need for effective safety measures to prevent accidents and delays. Geofencing technology can play a crucial role in improving safety and preventing incidents on the railway lines.

Supercharging Safety with OWL

Onwave has developed our own geofencing platform, OWL, to enhance track worker safety and address the safety challenge of objects on the line. OWL is a location-based system that uses geofencing technology to aid in improving railway safety. This system helps teams to visualise and understand their surroundings and the equipment they work with, such as marking out hazards like excavated areas and buried services and alerting users to their presence. OWL has many safety features, however two that are critical for ‘object on the line’ timed zones and the ability for Supervisors to have a Live View of their people and equipment on site in real time.

Timed Zones

Timed zones are a feature of the OWL geofencing technology platform that can be configured to enhance safety in railway operations. These zones can be set up for both people and geo-tagged objects, such as construction equipment or maintenance vehicles.

The purpose of timed zones is to forewarn teams of potential hazards and ensure that objects are placed safely, away from the line at critical moments in time. This can be particularly useful in situations where work is being carried out in close proximity to the railway line or where objects need to be moved onto or off the track.

When using a timed zone, an alert can be sent to everyone within the work site to warn of a possession coming to an end and can trigger specific alerts including exact location for any people or items of plant or equipment remaining on the line once the possession has completed.

Management Insight

One of the main features of OWL is the ability to immediately locate objects on the interactive Live View map in real time.

This helps to ensure that field teams have all the information they need at their fingertips, and can make informed decisions about how to work safely and efficiently to manage work and their assets on the rail line.

When using a timed zone, an alert can be sent to everyone within the work site to warn of a possession coming to an end and can trigger specific alerts including exact location for any people or items of plant or equipment remaining on the line once the possession has completed.

Upgrade Your Safety Technology

In conclusion, geofencing technology is a valuable tool for enhancing railway safety, particularly when it comes to object placement on the line. The statistics show that incidents involving objects on the line can have a significant impact on the safety, reliability, and efficiency of railway operations.

Geofencing provides real-time monitoring, alerts, and data tracking to ensure a safer work environment. By setting virtual boundaries, geofencing helps keep workers informed of potential hazards and can quickly alert managers to any incidents involving objects on the line. This enables railway companies to take appropriate action to prevent accidents, injuries, and delays.
By using OWL, railway companies and contractors can improve their overall safety record, reduce the number of accidents caused by objects on the line, and increase the efficiency of their operations. This not only protects workers and passengers but also helps to prevent damage to infrastructure and reduce delays and disruptions of incidents caused by objects left on the line.

If you’re interested in learning more about how geofencing can benefit your railway operations, why not schedule a demo today? With a demo, you can see the technology in action and get a better understanding of how it can improve your safety program. Speak to one of our team today and experience the benefits of geofencing for your railway projects.

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Enhancing Safety and Preventing Human-Plant Interaction with Technology

Enhancing Safety by Preventing Human-Plant Interaction with Technology

The construction industry is one of the largest and most complex industries in the world, and safety is a critical issue for all stakeholders involved. Despite the efforts made to ensure the safety of construction workers, accidents, causing serious injuries and even fatalities, involving construction machinery still occur.

 

However, technology is now playing a crucial role in enhancing safety and preventing construction machinery-related accidents. From wearable technology and smart sensors to virtual and augmented reality training, new innovations are being developed to improve the safety of workers and prevent accidents.

 

In this article, we delve into the latest technologies being used to enhance safety in the construction industry. We explore the ways in which they are helping to reduce the number of accidents and injuries on construction sites.

The Scale of the Safety Challenge

Delivery construction projects safely is incredibly important, as it affects the well-being of workers, the public, and the overall success of a project. The construction industry is known to have a higher rate of workplace accidents and injuries compared to other industries, and the consequences can be severe and long-lasting.

The scale of the safety challenge is extensive, but the construction industry stands out as one of the most dangerous based on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for fatal injuries.

This graph shows the main kinds of fatal accidents across industries, demonstrating the demand for safety measures to be increased on machinery and vehicles.

When moving away from fatal injuries, the picture from the report remains the same, demonstrating the dangers of moving objects and vehicles.

Beyond the Human Impact

Without seeking to minimise the human impact on these injuries, there is also an inevitable impact on projects and businesses from the number of injuries in the workplace overall.

The HSE state that 565,000 Workers sustained a non-fatal injury according to self-reports from the Labour Force Survey in 2021/22 (LFS) and 61,713 employee non-fatal injuries reported by employers in 2021/22 (RIDDOR.)

The sheer scale of the problem in terms of project continuity, alongside worker trust, is enormous, with millions of man-days lost each year due to injury based on these statistics from the Health and Safety Executive.

Implementing safe practices and procedures helps to prevent accidents and minimize risks on construction sites, ensuring that workers can carry out their tasks in a safe and healthy environment. This not only protects the workers but also helps to keep the project on schedule and within budget.

In addition, ensuring safety in construction can also enhance a company’s reputation and build trust with clients and the public. It demonstrates a commitment to responsible and ethical business practices and can lead to increased opportunities for future work.

Geofencing as a Safety Solution

Geofencing in the context of construction safety generally refers to the creation of virtual boundaries or barriers within or around a construction site which can be linked to the position of workers or plant through the use of positioning technologies (GPS,UWB or RFID) These positioning technologies can be used to monitor the movements of workers, vehicles, and equipment within the site, providing valuable information and alerting as they come into contact with the geofences, helping to improve safety and productivity.

For example, a geofence can be used to ensure that workers and vehicles are only allowed to enter specific areas of the site where it is safe for them to do so. If a worker or vehicle enters an unauthorised area, an alert can be triggered to alert management and/or safety personnel, allowing them to respond quickly to potential safety hazards.

In addition to improving safety, geofencing can also help construction companies to optimise their operations by providing real-time data on the movement of workers, vehicles, and equipment. This data can be used to identify bottlenecks, improve traffic flow, and allocate resources more efficiently.

Supercharging Safety with OWL

Onwave has developed our own geofencing platform, OWL working alongside Customers and major works contractors, within high-profile projects to enhance worker safety. In fact, the use of approved geofencing solutions, like OWL, is being mandated by Network Rail on their projects.

OWL is a location-based system that uses geofencing technology to improve project safety, with tangential benefits to productivity, security and the environment. OWL helps teams to visualise and understand their surroundings, and by automatically alerting users to the risks and hazards as they go about their duties (e.g., their proximity to excavations/ Moving Plant).

There are several functions within OWL that help to enhance worker safety, these include: fixed zones, dynamic zones, lone working functionality (for vigilance checks) and Live View the ability for project managers to have an all-seeing overview of the construction site to help spot trends and prevent accidents or incidents

Fixed Zones

Fixed zones can be configured to ensure that your machinery and workers are deployed safely, segregated where possible. Your teams can create safe walking routes to minimise the potential of human-plant interactions on your site. Your teams can also configure zones to prevent interaction with other hazards such as overhead or buried services.

Dynamic Zones

Warn your users when they are getting too close to dangerous heavy plant. Dynamic zones can be created around plant and continually updated based on the location of an OWL Tag (a magnetically mounted tracking and alerting device) which moves with the item of plant.

Rules can be configured on these zones just like other static geofences where unauthorised users can be warned when they are too close. Alerts can also be customised and sent to other users (such as the machine operator or banksmen) to alert them of this interaction.

Management Insights

With OWL you can immediately locate your plant on the interactive Live View map. Your team can provide field teams with all the information they need at their fingertips by attaching documents such as work permits, vehicle routes and risk assessments. Project Managers can verify plant machinery with the proper equipment or training.

Lone Working

With OWL you can easily create safety monitoring policies for individuals, ensuring that your supervisors and managers are informed in the case of an emergency, or when a worker falls or there is a lack of movement for a prolonged period.

Lone workers can even be sent Auto Vigilance checks at regular intervals to confirm that they are safe throughout the day.

We’re Here to Help…

In conclusion, geofencing technology is a valuable tool for construction safety, and for good reason given the startling statistics presented above.

Geofencing provides real-time monitoring, alerts, and data tracking to ensure a safer work environment. By setting virtual boundaries, geofencing helps keep workers informed of potential dangers and can quickly alert managers to any incidents.

With this technology, construction companies can improve their overall safety record, reduce the number of accidents, and increase the efficiency of their operations

If you’re interested in learning more about how geofencing can benefit your construction site, why not schedule a demo today? With a demo, you can see the technology in action and get a better understanding of how it can improve your safety program. Speak to one of our team and gain valuable insights into the benefits of geofencing for your projects.

Contact Us