[Article] Ticket inspector sues Irish Rail

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0220/1224264881012.html Ticket inspector sues Irish Rail

An Iarnród Éireann ticket inspector has sued the company for damages over two separate incidents where he was allegedly slashed by one passenger in the face with a Stanley knife and bitten twice on the leg by another.

The case by Nigel Broughal (39), of St Anne’s Park, Shankill, Co Dublin, opened yesterday before Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill at the High Court.

Iarnród Éireann denies negligence, breach of duty or failure to provide adequate security for employees.

Michael Byrne SC, for the rail company, said yesterday that it was also pleading that Mr Broughal had failed to exercise the care, skill and attention the company was entitled to expect from him, and that he failed to take the proper and appropriate conflict resolution techniques in which he was trained by the railway company.

[PLUMB LOCO]

Without knowing the background to this case it looks like a typical example of CIE/IE not giving staff safety the priority it deserves. Frequently I see ticket inspectors operating on their own which, these days, is asking for trouble. How often will a scumbag make trouble when two checkers operate together?
It is akin to have the gardai patrolling on the beat on their own. Scumbags are basically cowards and CIE/IE need to take account of this when dealing with the question of security/revenue protection.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0224/1224265092579.htmlIrish Rail inspector loses action

A High Court judge has ruled there was nothing Irish Rail could reasonably have done to prevent two assaults by passengers on one of its ticket inspectors, including one where the inspector was injured with a Stanley knife.

On that and other grounds, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill yesterday dismissed an action by the inspector, Nigel Broughal (39), St Anne’s Park, Shankill, Co Dublin, against the company over the incidents.

Iarnród Éireann had denied negligence and also pleaded that Mr Broughal had failed to use appropriate conflict resolution techniques in which he was trained by the company.

The case arose from two incidents. The first occurred in 2002 when Mr Broughal said he was attacked, pushed and bitten twice on the leg by a passenger at Pearse Station. The second took place in January 2004 at Seapoint where Mr Broughal was attacked by a passenger with a Stanley knife and suffered several lacerations.