[report] Gate Strike at Buttevant Level Crossing

[Mark Gleeson]

http://www.raiu.ie/uploads/raiu/2011R004_Buttevant.pdf

Member of staff tested positive for cannabis post incident

The immediate cause of this accident:
 The Gate Keeper was in the process of closing the level crossing gates across the railway line as the Track Recording Vehicle arrived at the level crossing.
The causal factors were:
 The Gate Keeper did not fully adhere to the operation instructions provided for the opening and closing of the level crossing gates;
The contributory factor was:
 The Gate Keeper‘s co-ordination and concentration may have been affected by the presence of Cannabis in his system;
 There was no engineered safeguard introduced at the Level Crossing to ensure that the Level Crossing gates could not be opened to road traffic when a train was approaching, as the system was dependent on the full adherence of the gate keepers to the operation instructions.

[dowlingm]

odd that they haven't autoed/CCTVed this one yet - the steep hill the crossing road is on wouldn't be a reason it's still manual?

[Colm Moore]

The hill is no more than about 15m high. While this makes it awkward to put in a bridge (it would need a few hundred metres of road realigned), I don't see anything inhibiting putting in an automated crossing. It could do with advance warning lights though, as there is a bend in the road.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Butteva...6. 06,,0,6.53

[Mark Gleeson]

Gatekeeper who took cannabis blamed for train crash

By Paul Melia
Tuesday June 28 2011
An Iarnrod Eireann employee who had consumed cannabis caused a 12-tonne locomotive to crash at speed after he mistakenly closed a level crossing.

An investigation into an accident at the Buttevant crossing in Cork last summer found that the worker's co-ordination and concentration "may have been affected" by the illegal drug.

A packed passenger train had passed through the crossing just 40 seconds before the crash.

A report from the Rail Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU), published yesterday, found that on July 2 last the unnamed worker closed a gate at a railway crossing too early, resulting in a track recording vehicle (TRV) -- which travels on the railway line carrying out safety checks -- crashing into the gate while travelling at 64kmh.

The report found the gatekeeper was closing the level crossing as the vehicle arrived at 10.23am.

The RAIU also said there was no safety system in place which would have ensured that gates could not be moved as a train was approaching.

No one was injured in the incident.

"The gatekeeper's co-ordination and concentration may have been affected by the presence of cannabis in his system," the report found.

Iarnrod Eireann has since upgraded safety systems at similar crossings.

The gatekeeper had been passed as competent to operate the level crossing just 10 days before the accident.

He was screened for drugs afterwards, and the company's chief medical officer said the presence of cannabis had "significant implications".

"The apparent failure to carry out all the required checks... prior to closing the level crossing gate to the railway may have been, at least partly, as a result of the presence of this substance in the gate keeper's system," the report added.

Prosecution

Iarnrod Eireann said it tested around 5pc of its 4,200 employees for drugs every year, or more than 200 people, and that none had failed a drugs test.

The employee involved in the incident has since resigned. Gardai were notified of the accident but no prosecution was taken.

An Iarnrod Eireann spokesman added: "All random tests to date have been negative for drugs and alcohol, indicating the commitment and professionalism which exists across our workforce.

"Our policy ensures that as well as random and other testing, there is an awareness and education for employees of issues relating to drugs and alcohol.

"This will ensure the safety of customers and staff alike, and aid us in our goal to prevent any repeat of an isolated incident such as this level crossing accident."

- Paul Melia

© Irish Independent 2011
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...h-2807013.html

[markpb]

Originally Posted by Irish Rail

Iarnrod Eireann said it tested around 5pc of its 4,200 employees for drugs every year, or more than 200 people, and that none had failed a drugs test.

Eh...? What about the guy that the article is written about. Did he not fail?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by markpb

Eh...? What about the guy that the article is written about. Did he not fail?

I can only imagine he was tested "for cause" whereas the other figure refers to random testing.

[dowlingm]

Given the highly dangerous stretch on the last 3-4km into Buttevant on the N20 is still extant, I doubt there's bobs for a realign/grade sep involving 50ft of grade. Obviously the best solution but gates it will have to be for now.

[comcor]

Is this the cause of the speed restriction near Buttevant that seems to have been there forever?

[Inniskeen]

Bridge defect - nothing to do with LC.