Train Platforms

kinetic747 · 7 Apr 2018 at 09:43

In a world of Health and Safety does anyone else think it strange that the only thing protecting you from a high speed train is a yellow line painted on the platform?

kinetic747 · 7 Apr 2018 at 10:56

I saw someone lose their footing the other day and end up the wrong side of the line. No train coming fortunately but it got me thinking how easy it would be to fall over the edge.

kinetic747 · 7 Apr 2018 at 13:41

IronWarrior said:
If one person dies per year and that barrier can save that person, then shouldn't we do it?

You also have the effects on the driver and any witnesses etc. To be honest, I've no idea how many accidents or near misses there are in a year but, given how crowded a platform can be, I just think it's a dangerous place to be. I've never felt in danger myself as I stand well back, but I have seen quite a few people flirting with death by standing way too close.

kinetic747 · 9 Apr 2018 at 15:04

dl8860 said:
When health and safety measures are implemented by anyone who knows what they're doing, they are done in a way to lower risks to a level that are As Low As Reasonably Practicable, or ALARP.

This means that a cost benefit analysis is done to weigh up the risk, assess different mitigation options, and then review the residual risk against the cost of the mitigation. In this case, adding barrier systems to every train station in Britain - god knows how many hundreds of millions of pounds plus endless disruption, teething problems, maintenance costs, extra staff, malfunctions causing injury etc. - is clearly not worth it, given deaths/injuries from people falling on tracks by accident are extremely rare.

I don't disagree. I also didn't advocate the installation of barriers, well not retrospectively anyway. I just wanted to open the topic up for general discussion.

kinetic747 · 9 Apr 2018 at 15:10

dl8860 said:
Sure, and I wasn't having a go or anything, just saying that 'Health and Safety' doesn't always mean more and more measures should be put in place.

No worries. There's a far bigger problem been unearthed in the thread as, if you do happen to fall of the platform, the biggest danger lies in falling in a pile of ****.

kinetic747 · 9 Apr 2018 at 19:38

Ahleckz said:
I totally thought the waste on the lines was stopped years ago! I'm sure I read something about that, but apparently not. My mistake. That's horrendous, can't believe we're still throwing our human waste (and other waste) on the lines!

I bet the Royal train doesn't do that!

kinetic747 · 10 Apr 2018 at 16:55

Vern1961 said:
I work in the rail industry and even I have often contemplated with all the H&S requirements we still have a situation where untrained people (passengers) can walk inches from 300 tonne machines passing at 125 MPH. You wouldn't board National Express by the side of the motorway or wait on the edge of 27R at Heathrow for your plane to pull up...!

Guess it's just how things have evolved and largely unchanged even in the rest of the world. Platform edge doors are only suitable where rolling stock with identical door positioning is used and you're not going to see it at Achnasheen or Kinbrace in the Highlands.

Some stations on multiple track routes have platforms on the fast or main lines where trains don't normally call, now segregated from the slow lines by mid-platform fencing. This does act as a visual and physical deterrent to those who may be contemplating the end, as does the display of Samaritans notices. Of those who do end up under a train at a station, 99% of the time is a deliberate act, sadly.

That's more or less the point I was trying to make. In industry, things are guarded so that they are idiot proof i.e its virtually impossible to access moving parts, nip points etc. Perhaps we should back track and follow the rail industries lead and leave everything to common sense but we all know that would lead to far more accidents. It can only be that the cost is prohibitive or surely things would not be left to common sense or, in my case, fear!