Programme Director recognises achievements during 2015

THE THAMESLINK PROGRAMME

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EVERYONE GETS HOME SAFE EVERY DAY!

MERRY CHRISTMASthey know that this is a really good way of improv-ing the safety performance of the site they are working on. Where lessons learnt are regularly talked about and positively influence our working methods and equipment. Where the Net-work Rail lifesaving rules are a cornerstone of all that we do and are recognised as fundamental ways of making sure we go home safe every day. I am delighted at the way that companies across the sup-ply chain are now engaged with our safety culture pro-gramme and am looking forward to 2016 as a year when we continue to reduce the number of people who

WELCOME TO THE Christmas edition of Hi-Viz. The last year seems to have flown by, however, if we pause and look back we can see the huge amount of progress that we have made in 2015.

London Bridge station is really taking shape with the new Charing Cross plat-forms nearing completion and the scale of the con-course evident to all, whilst behind the scenes the M&E fitout is gathering pace. Down at Bermondsey the demolition was successfully completed back in the sum-mer and now we are well advanced with the piling. The railway systems team have re-built a significant

part of the eastern approaches to London Bridge and new signalling gantries have been installed from Waterloo East to Ber-mondsey. Further afield Three Bridges depot has been formally opened by the Secretary of State, trains are now using Crick-lewood sidings, Peterbor-ough is nearly finished and Horsham is progressing well. We have let a contract for Traffic Management, the first test train using in cab signalling has been driven through the core area between Blackfriars and St Pancras and gauge clear-ance and station stopping works have taken place at numerous places through-

out the south east of Eng-land. There is much to be proud of and whichever part of the Thameslink Pro-gramme you are working on you are contributing to the most complex rail project in the UK, one that is going to transform rail travel across the South East.

As well as leaving behind a legacy in terms of the rail infrastructure transforma-tion that the Programme is delivering I also want this Programme to leave a safety legacy. A safety cul-ture that is truly inclusive and that everyone feels part of, where people are com-fortable about reporting close calls and filling in observation cards because

are injured on our work-sites in order to achieve our aim of everyone going home safe every day. I honestly believe that every accident is preventable and with your assistance we can make significant pro-gress towards this goal.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your fami-lies a peaceful and safe Christmas and New Year.

DECEMBER 2015ISSUE 14

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02 DECEMBER 2015 03ISSUE 14

Q. Please give us an overview of what your job entails here at BDU.A. I am the Ground Works Supervisor so I am re-sponsible for supervising the piling mat construc-tion works, breakdown of the piles and concrete finishing works.Q. What is your input to making BDU a safe place to work, for you and your mates?A. I create a safe area of work and make sure we have the correct tools for the job and that all pa-perwork is in place. I have a good relationship with my workers (4-5 guys at a time) and make sure they are aware of procedures, the task activity and the risks involved to create a safe practice of work. Q. What is the most important piece of Safety Kit on Site?A. Task Briefing Sheet. The briefing and under-standing of the task so everyone knows exactly what they are doing is so important.Q. If you could change one thing what would it be?A. More comfortable PPE. I wear the Hi-Viz fleece joggers but these aren’t always available to the men.Q. If you could represent your country at one thing what would it be?A. Prime Minister. I think I could do a better job by listening to the working man.

Shiv Mandeephans – Foreman

THE SHARP Q. If you could represent your country at one thing what would it be?A. Banger Racing. It’s an old hobby of mine which I won a lot of trophies in!

Falvius Sersea – Storeman

Q. Please give us an overview of what your job entails here at BDU.A. I look after all digging activity, pile breakdown and pile cut activity going into Sections 405, 406, 409 & 410.Q. What is your input to making BDU a safe place to work, for you and your mates?A. I practice what I have learnt in the IFE Training and make sure there is safe working for everybody so all paperwork is place (TBS & lifting plans) and all plant & equipment is in place that is required to get the job done. Q. What is the most important piece of Safety Kit on Site?A. Task Brief. You have nothing if you don’t have the Task Brief so it is very important. Q. If you could change one thing what would it be?A. A Green Zone area (to make phone calls) in the Section 409 walking routeQ. If you could represent your country at one thing what would it be?A. Cricket or Boxing

Richard Hamilton (Hami) – Foreman

in this article for the columns and the crossheads are built in factory condi-tions in areas designed for their build. On site areas are used where space is available. The column reinforcement cages are up to 11 tonne and the cross-head cages around 19 tonne.

l The reinforcement steel alone takes up areas on site that are usually needed for good wide safe walking routes and des-ignated plant roads.

l The large pile caps that support these columns were made off site in the form of very large cassettes. These are han-dled by the tower cranes in separate units saving multiple movements by

hand and muscle of single large diame-ter reinforcing bars 32mll in diameter and 50mll bars in the crossheads.

l The cassettes are then laced together l Next the reinforcement cages are placed

as a monolith lift and later the cross-head cages are craned onto the shutters for lacing to the column steelwork.

REDUCING THE RISKThe placing of the concrete used to be carried out by concrete operatives inside the column shutters with hand held vi-brating pokers. This in itself was a haz-ardous business as the writer of this arti-cle has known the concrete placing tube or hose to part at a joint, enough to cover the operative in a jet of concrete.

The answer was to use the new super plasticised concrete that needs no vibrat-ing. This Agillia or Topmix concrete flows if a constant supply is placed in the shut-ters from the top and skilful handling of this process results in the stunning struc-ture shown here.

So Safety and cost reduction by speed of operation and programme advantages have come together at London Bridge station and everyone is a winner.l Manufacture off site gives space on site

for plant and safe walking routel Reinforcement cages and cassettes

made in a place that is bespoke factory conditions

l Reduces dramatically manual han-dling of large diameter reinforcement bars

l Heavily plasticised free flowing no- compaction required concrete means no one has to be in the shutter

Win, Win

The Bridgeway PSS lost his balance after slipping on loose ballast whilst bending down to retrieve marker boards causing him to fall and land chest first on the run-ning rail nearest the CESS.

The area around the location where the Bridgeway PSS fell was reported as greasy. The PSS stated there was also loose ballast around the sleepers, which contributed to him slipping and falling forward.

The Bridgeway PSS was taken to hospital and was diagnosed as sustaining a hairline crack to his sternum as a result of the fall onto the running rail. He was discharged on the same night with advice to take over-the-counter painkillers.

The Bridgeway PSS has worked in the area on numerous occasions in the last 5 years.

ACTIONS TAKENThe Bridgeway Night Manager checked the area surrounding the location of the accident to ensure there were no other external factors that could have caused the accident.

A general PPE check was conducted for all Bridgeway staff on the Thameslink Pro-gramme, particularly safety footwear to en-sure risk of slipping is minimised.

A Lessons Learnt briefing was provided to all Bridgeway staff on the importance of not stepping on rails, sleepers, troughing lids, etc.

All Bridgeway staff were re-briefed on the Chemist On-Call process in relation to the safe use of over-the-counter or pre-scription medication.

LESSONS LEARNTThis accident brought forward some very Important lessons to be learnt.

l REAL-TIME REPORTING OF ACCIDENTSBridgeway have reviewed the current Acci-dent/Incident Reporting Processes and have developed a new flowchart and form to provide guidance on steps to be taken and information to be collected.

Accidents and incidents need to be reported as soon as possible to the Bridgeway On-Call Manager (07966 030 977) so that they can provide the neces-sary support and advice if required.

l IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO BE TAKENMake the necessary arrangements to en-sure the injured person is safe and appro-priate aid/help is sought and given.

Make the site safe and report the acci-

dent as soon as possible to your Supervisor, Bridgeway On-Call Manager and Network Rail / Client.

l INJURED PARTY SUPPORTGet the name of the hospital representa-

tive and ask the following:n The extent of the injury and whether the

injured person is okay to work.

IF THE INJURED PERSON IS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL:n Ask whether the injured person is able to

drive home.n Ask the type of medication prescribed

and its side effects.n Make arrangements for the injured per-

son to be taken home if required.

IF THE INJURED PERSON REQUIRES HOSPITALISATION:n Ask the hospital representative the rea-

son and how long the injured person is expected to stay.

n If required, arrange for the injured per-son’s vehicle to be recovered (Make sure you get the keys).

n Update the On-Call Manager and if re-quired, ask them to contact the injured person’s next of kin.

CLOSE CALL REPORTINGReport Close Calls in relation to danger-ous underfoot conditions and include pictures when possible. This enables us to forward the information to the rele-vant parties for remedial action to be un-dertaken.

COSTAIN AND NETWORK Rail are working together at London Bridge Station Redevelopment to continue to find ways of working with major ele-ments of the structure that can be produced in a safe environment with space and conditions that are ideal for manufacture and that sometimes means structure build off site.

Major components used in the sta-tion construction that can be fabri-cated off site free up space on the busy development and reduces the handling of multiple items.

An also new method of placing the many thousands of metres of concrete being used sometimes reduces risks dramatically.

l Prefabrication of the mighty column and crossheads that are supporting the tracks, platforms and trains start with prefabricated cages for the piles. The operation of making these reinforcement cages are quite often carried out on site, often out in the open and sometimes with plant and machinery and workers in the area. When they are made off site these cages and the cages made and shown

Article by Michelle Gander, Health & Safety Specialist, Network Rail

When good planning on Capitol works brings safety, programme and management of cost

together everybody wins

Cage being lifted into

place

The upright cage

Safety from start of the pile cap construction, then the column construction and then the crosshead. This because there is a minimum handling of major reinforcing elements by fabrication in a bespoke place off site

By Mark Bolton, Nightshift Manager, Costain

Article by the Assurance Team,

Bridgeway Consulting Ltd

PREFABRICATION

LESSONS LEARNT - FALL ONTO RUNNING RAILON THE 2ND September 2015 at around 01.55hrs, a Bridgeway Pos-session Support Staff (PSS) was working with a COSS to carry out Possession Support Duties at Ewer Street on the Down Blackfri-ars Spur.

DURING A RECENT visit to the Ber-mondsey Dive Under, where Skanska are carrying out piling and reinforced concrete construction works on be-half of Network Rail (Thameslink), we took the opportunity to chat with a few of the workforce who are build-ing the new railway infrastructure.

We caught up with the following guys working hard on the Skanska site:S. Dhaliwal (‘Gog’) – Supervisor Shiv Mandeep hans – Foreman Richard Hamilton (‘Hami’) – Foreman Flavious Sersea – Storeman Ian Gregory – Senior General Foreman

S. Dhaliwal (Gog) – Supervisor

Q. Please give us an overview of what your job entails here at BDU.A. I am responsible for ordering stores equipment, ordering plant to work on site, giving task briefings and putting the guys to work and making sure the works activity board is up to date at all times.Q. What is your input to making BDU a safe place to work, for you and your mates?A. Encourage focus and belief in the guys to our IFE (Injury Free Environment) programme where every-one has the responsibility to be personally involved in preventing harm to themselves and their team mates.Q. What is the most important piece of Safety Kit on Site?A. The workforce – the eyes and ears of safety. They all look out for each and are empowered to stop any-thing that is unsafe. Q. If you could change one thing what would it be?A. The contaminated muck on the job – this is the biggest risk on site to the workforce, the public (with the wagons constantly arriving and exiting site), etc.Q. If you could represent your country at one thing what would it be?A. King of England. I can make my own rules then!

Q. Please give us an overview of what your job entails here at BDU.A. I am the Steel Fixer Foreman and I am responsible for briefing the relevant steel fixers, putting them to work and generally have an interest in the job by look-ing out for everyone.Q. What is your input to making BDU a safe place to work, for you and your mates?A. As a supervisor, if I see something that is unsafe I won’t put my workers to work. On this project if you have any concerns you can raise them and they are dealt with straight away. I enjoy the ‘family’ feel on this project – everyone looks out for each otherQ. What is the most important piece of Safety Kit on Site?A. Defibrillators. Too many people needlessly die be-cause people do not know what to do in such a situa-tion. We have guys trained in how to use this piece of kit which is very valuable.Q. If you could change one thing what would it be?A. Welfare Facilities. As more & more men are com-ing onto this job there seems to be a lack of lockers to store PPE.

Q. Please give us an overview of what your job entails here at BDU.A. I am responsible for issuing and maintaining PPE, tools, radios, etc. to the workforce. I am also a traffic marshal and manage the smooth running of logistics (deliveries, etc.) in the site yard.Q. What is your input to making BDU a safe place to work, for you and your mates?A. I make sure that there is smooth running of vehi-cles and people around the yard and all exclusion zones are in place at all times. Q. What is the most important piece of Safety Kit on Site?A. Task Brief – you can’t start the job without it so it’s very important. Q. If you could change one thing what would it be?A. More lockers are needed for the increase of men on site.Q. If you could represent your country at one thing what would it be?A. Football – Arsenal for England, but Dinamo Bucur-esti (The Red Dogs) in my hometown in Romania.

Ian Gregory – Senior General Foreman

END Crosshead shutters closing up

Shiv Mandeep hans

Richard Hamilton (Hami)

Falvius Sersea

Ian Gregory

S Dhaliwal (Gog)

Drawings on the right show an eleva-tion of the mobile crane that will be used to lift the tower crane out and the plan layout of the exclusion zone required over the low level. To ensure the exclu-sion zone is complete at concourse and at high level the crane is being disman-tled during the full station closure on Christmas and Boxing Day.

Erection of the hoarding for the new site boundary will be undertaken be-tween Christmas and New Year and will be completed alongside BBRL who will be removing existing tracks 4 & 5 ahead of the test trains in the New Year. To open up the site to in stage works, the hoarding along the newly redundant site boundary will be dismantled. With such a large site there is a vast amount of hoarding to install and remove, some 300m to put up and 400m to take down within the possession.

The hoarding line on the edge of exist-ing platform 4 will be difficult to con-struct as the existing platform structure, although it is an improvement on previ-ous platforms, are not built to take the hoarding load along the coper. To ensure we maximise platform space for pedes-trian circulation using platform 3 a com-plex temporary works design has been undertaken to construct the hoarding as close to the platform edge as reasonably practical.

Further to hoarding works we will also be excavating over the top of the Kent line escalator from the high level plat-forms to the Western Passage, a pedes-trian access route to high level plat-forms. The high level side of the station is closed to passengers during the pos-session, therefore the work is being un-dertaken within this period to take ad-vantage of continuous access. A prop-ping scheme and column thickening will also be undertaken within the Western Passage, which together with the exca-vation which will enable beam replace-ment works to be undertaken after the possession within the next stage of con-struction.

INTEGRATED PLANNINGThe detailed planning of Railway Pos-sessions and Blockades is essential for completing the required works before handback and this blockade is no ex-ception. To ensure that this blockade runs according to plan, we will be using Time Slice drawings that have been put together over months of planning by the station delivery teams with workshops and readiness reviews to provide a fully coordinated programme. The Time Slice drawings match an hour by hour pro-gramme of the works and has been inte-grated with the Railway Systems pro-gramme to identify milestone interfaces such as track removal and train move-ments and to remove clashes with work areas and access requirements. The plan allows for plant and material use and movement so that all works have the necessary kit to be completed.

Above is an example of a coordinated timeslice.

04 DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE 14

“Much fun was had by everyone and it was a great day”

safety with a detailed, coordinated plan is key to a successful possession.

These plans will be communicated to the workforce at Start of Shift briefings which will use daily activity boards to update the dynamic changes to the ac-tivities and work areas throughout the possession. These will be updated twice daily, before the start of the day and night shift. All of the workforce will at-tend a start of shift briefing where the shift’s work activities, safe access routes, exclusion zones and key risks will be briefed.

05

INTRODUCTIONHL07, the blockade between 24th De-cember 2015 and 4th January 2016 will soon be upon us. This will be momen-tous for a number of reasons. Firstly this possession will be the last time that we alter the existing station layout and it also opens up the station to complete construction of track beds 5&6 to allow railway systems to install the track that enables HL09 (August 2016) track slews. Secondly we will also see the first of the through tracks in operation al-though non-stopping through platforms 7, 8 & 9.

THE BLOCKADE WORKSWe will be removing Tower Crane 2 on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, a 500t fly jib crane will be installed on St Thom-as Street and sections of the 70m crane will be lifted over platforms 10 – 15 and taken away by road. The removal of this crane will enable the Station team to close up the canopies in the coming months and make the concourse water tight ready to accept the finishes to al-low the Southern Concourse to open on August 2016.

The picture on the right shows the po-sition of Tower Crane 2 which is situated tightly between the new operational platforms 10-15 and tracks 9-7 which will be open for operation at the end of the possession.

The planned PTS zone in red and non-PTS zone in green

The position of Tower Crane 2 which is situated tightly between

the new operational platforms 10-15 and tracks 9-7 which will

be open for operation at the end of the possession

Pictured left and left below: Drawings above show an elevation of the mobile crane that

will be used to lift the tower crane out and the plan layout of the exclusion zone required over

the low level. To ensure the exclusion zone is complete at concourse and at high level the

crane is being dismantled during the full station closure on Christmas and Boxing Day

FOCUS ON SAFETYPlanning for safety is a key part to Cos-tain’s approach to London Bridge Station and to possession planning. This is reflect-ed within the integrated plan which is used as a tool to provide a package of logistic and safety plans. From the beginning of the possession and as the works progress the plans are coordinated to remove any con-flicting needs for plant movements, safe access requirements and exclusion zones.

The picture below shows the amount of work, operatives and plant that are re-quired for possessions. Planning for

During the planning of the integrat-ed plan key risks over the possession were identified and controls put in place. These risks include non-PTS operatives entering a PTS zone. To control this risk clear definition of PTS and non-PTS areas have been made. This boundary will be controlled physical barriers such as hoarding, COSS control, additional signage and all operatives will receive a wrist band briefing which will be used to commu-nicate PTS and non-PTS areas. The workforce will then be issued a colour coded wristband that demarcates whether the operative is PTS trained or not.

The planning and attention to detail before the possession combined with the hard work of the workforce during the possession will allow for works to be completed on time safely, which shall open up new operational areas of the station and allow the work site to move forward into the next stage of construction. This is why for us it truly is the most wonderful time of year.

Example of a Start of Shift briefing board and attendance

Shows the amount of work, operatives and plant that are required for possessions

ON 12 SEPTEMBER 2015 an incident occurred as part of track and signal-ling works which involved lifting a Proceed on Sight Authority (‘PoSA’) signal onto a gantry.

Use of incorrect lifting methods and the lack of an exclusion zone resulted in a signal falling 3.8m to the ground, narrowly missing an operative. On the day of the incident, modules were placed into a one tonne bag and lifted onto a gantry by polyester lashings tied around the handles of the bag. An in-staller stood on the gantry and lifted the load. These polyester lashings (Texspan Cargo Control BSEN12195-2:2001) are designed to secure car-go, and are not suitable for lifting. The first lift oc-curred at the start of the shift. Later that day a sec-ond signal was lifted by wrapping the lashing di-rectly around its frame and tying it off around the hinged locking handle on the back of the unit.

Teams reminded of the need to

plan lifts

Works over Christmas at London Bridge Station are explained

14KG SIGNAL HEAD FALLS OVER 3 METRES

Mock up of scenario

Article by Allie Wnuk, Sustainability Manager, Siemens

Article by Trevor Sharp, Section PM and

Harry Stonehill, Site Engineer, Costain

On attempting to pull the signal up on to the gantry the cable tie broke, allowing the handle to swing open, the polyester lashing slipped free and the signal (weighing 14kg) fell to the ground. No one was hurt but the incident had the potential to cause a serious injury or worse. Furthermore, a Close Call was not reported until a week after the event.

The investigation found that methods of lifting are defined by ‘custom and practice’ and not pre-scribed methods. This is a reminder that Work Package Plans and Task Briefing sheets must de-tail specific methods for lifting objects and not be generic. Where work is re-planned or additional activities are carried out beyond what was intend-ed, a thorough risk assessment is required and a safe system of work must be agreed before com-mencement of activities.

Finally, reporting Close Calls promptly is a pro-ject requirement, for legal and good practice pur-poses. It is only by reporting Close Calls that we can learn, improve and create a safer work envi-ronment.

“Planning for safety is a key part to Costain’s approach to London Bridge Station and to possession planning”

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

0706 DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE 14

THIS YEAR SEES a 10 day blockade of both the Cannon Street and Charing Cross Lines from the termini to New Cross and Charlton. The clo-sure runs from 20.00 hours on 24th December to 04.00 hours on 4th January.

Track works include the bringing into use of the Borough Market Viaduct, and track moves at the Country and London end of London Bridge Station. The new track alignment will run through plat-forms 7, 8 and 9, creating space for the construction of new platforms 5 and 6. The Charing Cross services will not stop at London Bridge station until next August.

The major event, however is the sig-nalling re-control of the Charing Cross lines from London Bridge Signal Box to Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre (ROC). New signals on the new layout will also be com-missioned using new technology, which will allow the system to operate and react faster, which in turn means more trains per hour after 2018. This is the first time that this signalling system is being brought into use.

The stations team will be erecting a significant hoarding to demark the new construction site.

Works have been planned in great detail, over the last year, not only by the Thameslink Programme, but also with our colleagues in the South – Eastern Route and the Train Operating Companies to ensure that we have covered off the safety and operational risks of delivering the blockade.

The running lines to Charing Cross will go through the new platforms 7, 8 and 9. Although Charing Cross ser-vices will not stop at London Bridge. The existing Up and Down Charing Cross lines are removed to create space for the construction of the new station platforms that will eventually take the Thameslink through services.

BE AWARE!Comprehensive briefing packs and meetings have been prepared and arranged, so that everyone involved with the blockade is aware of both the overall plan, and where their particular work fits in. The scope of work fits comfortably into the duration of the blockade. There are only 10 engineering trains planned for the works. The briefing packs need to be read and understood – they have important safety messages.

STICK TO THE LIFE SAVING RULESThe rules are there to protect us from harm. They are simple and easy to understand, if we stick to them, we reduce the risk of harm to ourselves and to others. If there is some-thing that you find unworkable, speak up….talk to your Supervisor.

DON’T WALK BYIf you see something wrong, then you need to do something about it. Walking by is not acceptable. If one of your colleagues is do-ing something that you consider is putting him or her in harm’s way, or may affect you or others, then you have a duty to intervene. It’s not being a grass or a trouble maker, it is looking out for yourselves and others. Stand down, talk about the risks, regroup if it’s necessary and carry on safely.

After you’ve taken the action, remember to us about it. Use the Close – Call system and report anything that is wrong. You can even report something that you see which is good! The system is designed so that you in-tervene and then report issues so that something can be done about it. Close Call cards will be available at all Site Access Points.

Our safety record during blockades is al-ready pretty good, but it can be better. By working as a team, and making sure that we are aware, prepared and fit, we can make things even better. By sticking to the lifesav-ing rules and reporting anything that we think is wrong we can prevent harm to our-selves and others, and improve things for the future.

Everyone Home safe – Every Day

EVERY DAY

EVERYONE HOME SAFE

BUILDING BLOCKS

London Bridge station area layout before the Christmas blockade

What’s happening during Christmas this year on our Programme

The new layout nears completion at the

Country end of London Bridge Station

London Bridge Station area after the blockade

For more information go to safety.networkrail.co.uk/LSR

Never undertake any job unless you have been trained and assessed as competent.

Always be sure the required plans and permits are in place, before you start a job or go on or near the line.

Our Lifesaving Rules

Always use equipment that is fi t for its intended purpose.

Never work or drive while under the infl uence of drugs or alcohol.

Never use a hand-held or hands-free phone, or programme any other mobile device, while driving.

NR_S&SD_Key_card_01.indd 1 01/08/2014 15:21

BE PREPARED!The works take place over Christmas, and the weather is unpredictable. Although the long range forecast is favourable at the moment, the conditions will not be perfect. We need

n Boots, in good condition, with good solesn Clean Hi Viz clothingn Gloves appropriate to your taskn Safety glasses n If the weather turns and you feel cold, re-

member hats under your hard hat mean your hard hat becomes ineffective. Speak to your Health & Safety team to get the correct head gear!

To work our shifts comfortably and safetyBE FIT!

These will be hard shifts and it is vitally im-portant that you have adequate rest, and are fit for work. It’s difficult over the Christmas period, with family commitments, family par-ties and the odd argument to get to work, fit, but it has to be done. If we have committed to come to work, then we must be fit for work. That means no alcohol or drugs in our system and mentally alert.

New Track installation on Borough Market Viaduct

Article by Dave Higginson, Blockade Co-ordinator, Network Rail

0908 DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE 14

THE DO’S & DON’TS OF

WINTER DRIVING

WINTER PRESENTS DRIVING condi-tions that require more concentration and preparation on your part. You need to ensure that the vehicle you are driving is in good working condition. Most im-portantly:

l Keep your windscreen and windows clearl Check and replace your wipers if

necessaryl Check all your lights are working.

Always drive at the appropriate speed and be aware of the weather, road conditions, sur-roundings and of what other drivers and road users are doing - be prepared to take evasive or corrective action if needed.

REMEMBER: In adverse weather, your ability to see, control your car and stop decreases significantly.

Rain affects your ability to stop. Reduce speed and increase your distance from the vehicle in front of you. Switch on your dipped headlights so other mo-torists can see you better.

BEWARE: Spray from vehicles in front can make it hard to see and be seen.

Some helpful tips to get out of a sticky situation:l Point the front wheels straight aheadl Rock the vehicle back and forth (DO NOT spin the

wheels)l Place some material under the wheels to increase

traction e.g. carpet or foot mats, sand, gravel or ballast

l If the above doesn’t work, get help.

It is one of the most fatiguing factors when driving at night. To help reduce glare, always keep your wind-screen clean and set you rear view mirror to night mode.

If oncoming vehicle bright lights are glaring, avert your eyes slightly down and to the left towards the left-side white line on the left edge of the road – it provides a reference line in poor visibility situations.

Use it to keep your vehicle on the road, but keep aware of the approaching vehicle using your peripher-al vision.

Black ice is not always visible.Black ice is most commonly found on roads that run

around bodies of water (such as lake and rivers), in tun-nels, on bridges or overpasses and in shady or rural areas where the road surface freezes more quickly. In icy condi-tions, turn off your radio and listen.

The first sign you are driving on black ice is the loss of road noise. As soon as your car begins to slide or skid on black icel Take your foot off the acceleratorl Turn the steering wheel into the direction of the skidl Do not brake suddenly.

Avoid it, but if you have to go through a flood, drive slowly in first gear to avoid stalling the engine. Keep the engine revs high and slip the clutch and avoid the deepest parts – usually near the kerb. The air intake must always be kept clear of water. Test your brakes after going through a flood.

Dazzle from winter sun and its reflection on the road surface can make driving dangerous.

Wear sunglasses if they help. Make sure that your windscreen is completely

clean.

Drive slowly and use dipped headlights so that other vehicles can see you.

Use fog lights if visibility is seriously reduced, but switch them off when visibility improves.

Fog is often patchy and you can suddenly find yourself back in thick fog.

DON’T DRIVE TOO CLOSE BEHIND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT TO FOLLOW THEIR REAR LIGHTS.

It is difficult to gauge the depth of water on the road. Your vehicle may be in danger of “aquaplaning” if you

travel too fast (usually over 40 mph). Your tyres will start to float on the surface – you will

lose traction and control of your vehicle.

If you do aquaplane:l Release the acceleratorl Grip the wheel firmly and gently steer into the skidl Avoid sudden braking

Avoid sudden braking, sharp turns, or sudden increases in speed.

Allow more room to slow down and brake - it can take up to 10 times longer to stop when roads are icy rather than dry.

Use the highest gear that you can (e.g. second gear rather than first). This will help avoid wheel spin that could cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

If you start to skid, take your foot off the accelerator. Do not brake suddenly – you will skid.

Get into a lower gear earlier, let your speed go down, and brake gently. If a polar bear can slip, so can you!

Rain

Stuck in the mud

Glare Black Ice

Floods

Sun

Fog

Hydroplaning / Aquaplaning

Ice / Snow

MY WORLD STOPPED on a Sunday very recently when I took a call to tell me my daughter had fallen 30 feet off a cliff whilst out playing with her friend.

I cannot begin to explain the thoughts that went through my head in the 2 hours it took for her to be rescued and airlifted to hospital. Those were the longest 2 hours of my life! I had been away for a week-end with friends and was

WHEN THE BODY is cold, the muscles and joints are stiffer and less able to perform as they should. So strains and sprains are more likely to happen when taking part in physical activity such as structured exercise, work tasks, gar-dening, housework, washing the car and DIY.

Avoid staying in the same posture for long periods of time, and change position

LAYER UP… l Wear thin breathable layers which can

be removed and replaced as requiredl Make sure that the layer next to your

skin is a synthetic material (not cotton) because this will help to take the moisture away from your skin

l Consider covering up your head and hands to prevent excess heat loss

KEEP MOVING… l Avoid staying in the same posture for

long periods of time; change your position frequently

l Keep warm when standing by tensing and relaxing your muscles

l Shift your weight from leg to leg and rise onto the balls of your feet

EAT WELL…l Eat regularly to keep energy levels upl Drink enough water to stay hydrated so

that you’re not thirsty for long periods. The body can become just as dehydrated in the cold weather as you get physical

l Passing clear urine is a good sign that you’re well hydrated

on the journey home so wasn’t even close by to where the accident hap-pened. I felt helpless. I was terrified.

It was only by luck that she wasn’t seriously in-jured. It was a miracle, but she escaped with only cuts and bruises. Things could have been so much differ-ent. Our lives could have been changed forever. The memories of that day will live with me always.

SO WHY AM I SHARING THIS WITH YOU?

Working in a high risk in-dustry means that, unfor-tunately, I am regularly in-volved with accident inves-tigations. Our focus is often on the injured person and how we can prevent the same type of accident in the future. My daughter’s accident has however made me much more aware of the effects that an accident has on the family and friends of an injured per-son. So when we place someone in danger, or they take a risk, it is not a single life we are affecting.

So on a personal level I would make this request of you. Whether it be at work or at home, stop and take time to consider the risks involved with whatever you are doing and if they are unacceptable, stop and find a safer way. These simple steps could prevent it from being your loved one who has to deal with the after effects of your ac-cident.

WARM UP…l It is recommended that you should

spend a minimum of 10 minutes warming up before you start any activity

l Start with some gentle walking or jogging to increase your heart rate and gradually increase the pace

l Do mobility exercise such as knee bends, ankle rotations, shoulder rolls and leg swings, is a better way to stretch muscles whilst keeping warm, and can help release tension and improve circulation.

Unfortunately, most people don’t re-alise the value of a warm up and mobili-ty exercises until they’ve already suf-fered an injury. So be one step ahead and do them before you need to.

FINALLY, LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER…

There is often an increase in people feeling low in the winter season. This could be due to post-holiday blues, or something like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - a con-dition that is related to depression.

It is important that we are all aware of each other’s moods and behaviour. The earlier you talk about how you are feeling, and access the right support; it can help you to remain safe and healthy at work.

If you notice a change in the mood or be-haviour of the people you work with, ask them how they are and if they would like to talk about it. If you are feeling low or de-pressed, speak to someone – a friend, fam-ily member, colleague or GP.

DAUGHTER FALLS 30 FEET

How one accident can stop your world

Article by the Assurance Team, Bridgeway Consulting Ltd

WARMING UP FOR WINTER As we enter the colder months, it’s more

important than ever to look after your body to prevent injury

Article by Michelle Gander, Health & Safety

Specialist, Network Rail

Article by Laurence Whitbourn,

Project Director (London Bridge, BDU &

SSP), Network Rail

The helicopter that airlifted

Laurence’s daughter to

hospital

Laurence Whitbourn, Project Director, Network Rail with his daughter during a recent holiday

1110 DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE 14

A LUCKY ESCAPE

Construction Manager survives serious injury to tell his story

WHILST I DO a lot of cardio exercise, I still find it hard to lose weight, especial-ly around the waist, and I’ve often won-dered why. I saw a TV documentary re-cently that blew my mind, and may well hold the answer...

The documentary was “Jamie’s Sugar Rush” starring TV chef, Jamie Oliver. The programme used extreme shock tac-tics from the off to make its point and for me, it worked! It opens with a young boy, about the same age as my son, going under general anaesthetic to have all his teeth pulled out with pliers because they were rotten to the core from excessive sugar consumption.

It went on to explore other dangers of excessive sugar consumption, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. I’ve since discovered that when you consume sugar, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin, to quickly lower your blood sugar to a normal level. Unfortunately, insulin is a “fat storage” hormone, so if there is continuously too much of it in your system, you will put on weight, particularly around the waistline.

I have a sweet tooth, so if I’m eating more sugar than is recommended, then perhaps it’s no surprise that I struggle to lose weight. What was a surprise, was the sugar content of certain foods that you might consider to be healthy (e.g. some brands of muesli and some low-fat diet foods, particularly ready meals). Whole foods are much better for you than processed foods, but read the labels because whilst wholemeal bread is better for you than white bread, not all brown bread is wholemeal and it can contain just as much sugar. There’s no hard & fast rule as to what’s healthy, you simply have to check the labels and look at the sugar content as well as the calorific value.

Current government guidance is that an adult shouldn’t consume more than 90g of sugar per day, of which a maxi-mum of 30g should be “free sugar” or added sugar (as opposed to naturally oc-curring sugar found in unprocessed fruit). To put that in perspective, 30g is the equivalent of 8 teaspoons of sugar

(bear that in mind at your next tea break).

Just one 330ml can of “full-fat” Coke, contains 35g of “free sugar”, the equiv-alent of five Krispy Kreme doughnuts!!!

Whilst the can states the sugar con-tent is 39% of the recommended daily allowance, this is a bit misleading be-cause all the sugar it contains is “free sugar”. So just one can contains more than the recommended daily intake of “free sugar” for an adult.

Whilst good old water is the healthiest drink option to keep us hydrated, going for a low sugar soft drink option is a sig-nificant improvement on the “full fat” version.

The weight issue is worrying but even more concerning are the other dangers it can lead to. The programme interviewed people who had type 2 diabetes as a re-sult of excess sugar consumption and be-ing overweight. It also highlighted the statistic that the annual number of dia-

I HAD 4 days leave booked to take some time out in Cumbria rid-ing my Honda Goldwing 1500 touring the lakes. The forecast was for good weather, the hotel booked, the bike packed, and plenty of time to travel. The trav-el to Kendal was due to take about 5hrs so waiting to leave after the London rush hour was not a problem.

The route was set M25 – A1M – M6, with the 1st stop at Stamford. The roads were clear and the weather perfect. I stopped at Stamford after about 2hrs travel. After a coffee and something to eat I was already relaxing and enjoying my time off work. After my short rest I got back on the bike and off again up the A1. Passing Newark at a steady 60mph all was going to plan.

Then it all changed, suddenly the traffic in front was breaking heavily, cars were pulling over from the inside lane causing mayhem in the outside lane. I had to break hard and the bike locked up both wheels. I saw an AA van pull out to avoid a tractor travelling on the inside lane. I could see I had nowhere to go so I started to lay the bike down. Too late, a sudden thump….. then nothing.

I came around with people stood around me, not knowing what exactly had happened. The thump I remembered was me crashing into the back of the van, (according to the police investigation team I was traveling at approximately 30 – 35mph at the time of impact). This however sent me from the outside

lane across the inside lane and up the bank.

I ended up with a double fracture of the collar bone, 5 broken ribs behind the shoulder blade, multiple fractures of the shoulder blade, 3 fractured ribs on the lower left side, a punctured lung and split lip. ‘I was in hospital for three weeks, one of which was in intensive care unit. The effects are still ongoing and are likely to be for a while.

I am writing this on the 11th November, it is 6 weeks after the accident and I am still off work. I am still having to take morphine to reduce the pain, (even though this is now being reduced), I still have to sleep sitting up slightly because the pressure on my ribs when laying down means it’s impossible to get comfortable. More x-rays are due over the next 2 months to see how the bones are setting, at the moment there is some “clicking” that is not expected. If my bones have not set correctly then it going to be an operation to break and pin the ribs and plate the shoulder blade. The long term outlook is 20% loss of movement in the shoulder and the onset of arthritis in later life.

For someone who is used to being active onsite and involved in the project management team, to be stuck in a situation where I am waiting to get back into the thick of things at work, is mind numbing. It has been made easier by the support of the great team of fellow workers past and present. The long term prognosis is good.

As for the bike, well it’s

been written off which shows the damage that can be done at 30 – 35mph. A reality check – it could had just been myself written off, a different story all together. My saviour was wearing the correct clothing, taking time to travel and taking a break. Had I not done these basics I may have not been so alert as to lay the bike down to reduce the impact speed

So what am I trying to tell you? All that I had planned went smoothly, by looking at travel time, stops, time to travel, I reduced the chances of me having an accident to the best of my ability. The one thing that I could not mitigate against was the three factors

that are involved in many accidents, 1) human error, 2) the split second that the accident happens, and 3) luck. But without taking as much preventive action as possible I may not have been here to tell my story.

The AA van that I crashed into had a rear camera. This was what the police used to work out the speed of impact. From the footage from the camera they also told me that I missed the tractor by about 10 to 15 feet. The tractor had a scarifier on the back of it. That’s where the luck came in. My accident could have been so much worse.

Article by Walter Read, Senior Construction Manager, Network Rail

Article by Greg Thornett, Project Manager

Bermondsey Dive Under & Structure Strengthening

betes-related amputations in England is now more than 7,000 (135 every week). A sobering thought, especially when com-pared to the 275 UK Service personnel who had partial or complete limb ampu-tations as a result of injuries throughout the entire war in Afghanistan.

The cost to the NHS in treating obesity related diseases is astronomic (£9bn a year on type 2 diabetes alone) and you may have seen in the news recently, Jamie Oliver’s campaign to have a “sugar tax” on things like “full-fat” soft drinks. Personally, I think it’s a good idea if the money is directed specifically to treat weight related diseases, and if the extra cost of the product is enough to make us think twice before consuming something that could potentially put our health at serious risk, then so much the better!

But whether the sugar tax is intro-duced or not, it’s made me sit up and think.

Please be aware of your sugar intake, especially in the run up to Christmas, and in the New Year when your resolution might be to shed a few pounds, you never know, it could be the key to a healthier you...

If you’d like to find out more, please visit www.channel4.com/programmes/jamies-sugar-rush where there’s a re-ally useful tool to highlight how much sugar is found in common foods.

There is also more information on www.jamieoliver.com/sugar-rush and if you agree with the campaign, you can even sign Jamie’s petition for a sugar tax.

LAST MONTH, I was involved in a hit and run. I was on my way home from an event in the

back of a minicab and as we were sat in slow-moving traffic, an approaching Range Rover swerved through two empty lanes to join our lane. Having done this quite fast and erratically, he crashed into the side of the minicab and fled the scene moments later. I suffered whiplash and sus-tained cuts and bruises to my lip.

I know what you’re thinking - was she wearing a seatbelt? The answer is yes, I was and so was my driver, and we’d be in a far worse situation if we weren’t.

Many make the mistake of trusting other driv-ers more than trusting their seatbelt, when a lot can actually happen in one short journey. It wasn’t my driver’s fault but there are situations where that isn’t the case.

On average, minicab and taxi drivers drive be-tween 40 and 60 hours a week and so are at a higher risk of fatigue and loss of concentration behind the wheel. This should trigger a natural in-stinct to wear a seatbelt and prevent ourselves from getting seriously hurt. We recognise the ad-vantage of wearing a seatbelt as one of NR’s Lifesaving Rules but it really does also apply to life outside of the work environment. So, the next time you jump into a minicab, trust your instinct and buckle up. It may just save your life.

Article by Su Alnajafi, Project

Management Assistant, Network Rail

BUCKLE

UPWal’s bike prior to the accident and a photo of him immediately after the accident

SUGAR? KNOW THE RISKS…

Jamie Oliver sees a young boy undergoing an operation to have all his teeth removed

12

WORDSEARCH

Any ideas or suggestions email sharon.fink@networkrail.co.ukEditor, Sharon Fink, Health & Safety Manager, Network Rail

ICI IS ON ITS WAY…FROM 1ST JUNE 2016 the Indus-try Common Induction (ICI) is mandated for undertaking all Network Rail Infrastructure Pro-ject sponsored sites.

The ICI covers the safety procedures and risks that are com-mon across the rail industry, whatev-er the role and type of site.

Network Rail and its supply chain who work for Infrastructure Projects must have the competence or they may be denied access to site.

We may need to be able to induct some workers / staff into sites who

do not have ICI. i.e. engineers who visit for one off specialist discus-sions, senior managers who bring support staff for specific issues etc. In these cases a briefing on the risks should be available.

KNOW YOURArticle by Sharon Fink,

Health & Safety Manager, Network Rail

A large (250ml) glass of wine takes your body about 3 hrs to break down the alcohol.

One pint of lager takes your body about 2 hrs to break it down. One pint of strong lager is equivalent to three units, so this will take longer.

You cannot speed this process up with exercise, eating or coffee!

REMEMBERChristmas get togethers are not a reason to be over the limit. Drink sensibly, know your units, stop drinking in time for the alcohol to clear your system or book the next day off work.

Anyone can be tested at any time. It’s not worth the risk!

If you drink a bottle of red wine (around 9 units) finishing at 23:00hrs, at 06:00hrs the next day you will still have at least 2 units of alcohol in your blood, which is over the Network Rail limit.

If you drink six pints of Stella Artois (nearly 18 units) in the course of an even-ing finishing at 23:00 hrs, you will proba-bly be over the Network Rail limit for an early shift and could still be over by lunchtime the next day.

Christmas is here! Have a happy and safe festive period. 33 words are hidden in the grid below words can appear forwards or backwards!

TippleFrozen surfaceNo unsafeAssess the riskHard hatsTinselKept wrapping up

Fairy lightsTrees and starBoxing dayFoibleBrandy snapsCrackerCarrier bag

Respect othersGuisesSlippery groundTrips ‘n’ slipsEspoutParcelsStaying indoors

PeaceNew yearAhoy thereAssess EffortsElatedNumber

Safe method LavishSnow and rainSlept inReindeer

Article by Sharon Fink, Health & Safety Manger, Network Rail

LIMITSWordsearch by Tim Witcomb, Network Rail

More information on how to get this training will be provided in due course from your employer.