Rly Bd agreed suggestions to avoid SPAD & instructed to all GMs to implement in f/o RngStaff
Minutes of the meeting regarding SPAD held on 12.06.2012
Government of
India Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) No.2004/M/(L)/466/7101 New
Delhi dated 14.06.2012
TO,
General Managers, All Indian Railways.
Sub:
Minutes of the meeting regarding SPAD held on 12.06.2012. Kindly find
enclosed a copy of the Minutes of the meeting regarding SPAD held in
Railway Board on 12.06.2012. All Zonal Railways should make efforts to
implement the above to ensure safety and to bring down cases of SPAD on
IR. Each Zonal Railways should also upload its presentation on the SMDMS
site so that it can be accessed by all concerned. (S.M. Sharma)
Dir.Mech.Engg. (Traction) Railway Board. Minutes of the meeting on SPAD
held in Railway Board on 12.06.2012. The meeting was attended by
CME/Dy.CME (Operations) of all Zonal Railways along with one Inspector
from predominantly diesel divisions of IR. CRB, MM and AMME addressed
the participants and sensitized them on the issue of safety in train
operations. During the interactive session, the following good
suggestions were given by the Zonal Railways:
A. Suggestions pertaining
to Locomotive:
1. There is a need to have a uniform cab design one for
diesel locos and another for electric locos. It is essential that the
location of A9 and SA9 is the same. It will be useful if standard colour
coding can be done for A9 and SA9 on all locos. The low control stand
design is useful because both the LP and ALP can see each other and
communicate freely.
2. There is a need to improve the condition of
driving cabs by making them sound proof and ergonomic and to relocate
the horn so that the sound level is within limits. Cab should also be
made air-conditioned.
3. The VCD operational cases should be analysed
and crew counselled.
4. An USB port should be provided in the speed
recorders so that the events can be analysed at the lobby itself and
this will ensure that the crew is vigilant.
5. A device has been
provided by GOC shed of SR by which a switch can be activated during
shunting operations and this ensures that the speed does not exceed 15
kmph.
6. Provision of voice recorders in the cab for recording the
shortcomings and calling out of signals. 7. Loco Pilot seat’s quality
should be improved with back rest provision.
B. Suggestions pertaining
to rest facilities:
1. Proper resting facility should be provided in the
lobby so that the crew is fresh inspite of PDD.
2. Breathalyser should
be made part of the CMS and the sign on menu should only come up once
the breathalyser testing has been found to be fit.
3. Provision of
subsidized meal should be made mandatory so that the crew does not waste
time and can avail proper rest.
4. Calendar day rest should be provided
to running staff instead of 22/30 hrs. rest so that they may fulfil
their family and social obligations.
C. Suggestions pertaining to
operations:
1. Retro-reflective Board indicating the type of signal with
arrow towards the relevant line should be provided in each signal post.
In case, there are more than 2 lines, the signal post of additional
line should be of different colour. The name of the station should be
written on the signal posts of the station signal.
2. The numbering is
signals should be in reducing orders from distant to the home so that
there is uniformity in numbering and the driver is sure that the same
signal number is for a particular signal on each station.
3. Presently
the validity of LR is six months which is too long. If a train crew has
not gone on a section for more than one month, then one day and one
night LR should be provided.
4. The length of trains have increased, new
clear standing room (CSR) of 692 meters should be maintained instead of
686 meters so that starter signal is clear visible from the cab.
5.
Long hours of crew should be minimized by providing relief. Railway
should make arrangements for hiring road vehicles to ensure the above.
6. Links should be made in such a way so that there are not more than2/3
continuous night duties. Also efforts should be made that the running
staff is not made to perform more than 6 hours duty during 2200-0600
hours.
7. The state of mind of the LP should be seen by the CCC/LI
especially if there has been a mishap or he is joining duties after a
long period of absence. In case of any doubt, he should not be booked on
superfast trains.
8. The crew should be counselled not to work under
pressure since he has to operate the train at Maximum Permissible Speed
now that the concept of booked speed is no longer there. Safety has to
be given priority over punctuality.
9. Proper time-tabling has to be
ensured so that margin for acceleration/deceleration is available
depending on the load and gradients and there should be a concept of
loco recovery in the WTT.
10. Monitoring and foot plating with shutters
will also ensure that no shortcuts are undertaken in the yards. LPS
should also be provided walkie-talkie to assist in shunting operations.
11. Circulars on safety, etc. should also be issued in regional
languages so that crew can easily understand them.
12. The crew should
be given a feedback by SMS on the unusual occurrences reported by him
while signing off.
13. Driver should only work on one traction i.e.
diesel or electrical.
14. A unified G&SR should be published for all
Indian Railways.
15. S&T department should issue a signal booklet
and if any change in the location of signal correction slip should be
issued and circulated to all lobbies.
16. The rest at HQ and outstation
should be liberalized. A crew on 6 hr. outstation rest should be served
call book after completing rest i.e. 6 hours + 2 hours =8 hours.
17.
Efforts should be make to reduce the anxiety of the running staff. A
train should not be put back 2-3 times. The Power controls should be
equipped with control charting terminals so that they can monitor the
actual train running and call the crew accordingly. 18. Those sections
should be identified where normally running duties are exceeding more
than 10 hours and preventive action should be taken to minimize these
running duties.
19. Other ZR’s LI should foot plate on other zones so
that wrong practices of that zone may be highlighted and corrective
actions should be taken.
20. Whenever a train has been stopped at a
station for a long time for crossing or path, before departure the LP
should talk to the ASM and Guard to reconfirm that the signal for his
train has been lowered. The ASM should also inform the LP and Guard
regarding above.
21. PME of the running staff should be streamlined and
criteria should also be modified and the mental fitness should also be
part of the same.
22. The caution order issued by the station should
also include permanent speed restrictions. The ER Board should also
indicate the speed of the upcoming caution so as to pre warn the driver.
23. Shunting order (T-806) should be given for shunting operations so
that no shortcuts or unsafe practices are undertaken.
D. Suggestions
pertaining to training:
1. Whenever new technology is fitted on
locomotives, seminar should be organized in the training centre and the
instructor should also be trained so that they can impart the correct
knowledge to crew
. 2. Low cost simulators should be provided at all
lobbies so that the crew can utilize their free time when they are
waiting for the train.
3. New technology like CCB has been introduced on
locomotives. Provision for simulation based on CCB should also be there
in the new simulator.
4. Norms for sanction of LIs for monitoring of
ALP should also be prescribed
. 5. Normally crews pass the training with
60% marks which implies that they may not be conversant with 40% of the
syllabus. In the training institutes the answers of the questions should
be discussed after the examination has been conducted so that the crew
is aware of all the aspects.
6. The yardstick of LIs should be reviewed
to have a sanction for monitoring etc. Preferably 25% LIs should be
selected by promoting mail pilots
7. At present, different railways are
following different systems for monitoring of A/B & C category
drivers. Since A category driers are being monitored once in 3 months on
many railways, this is an incentive to the LIs to give A category to
maximum drivers so that their workload is reduced. It is essential that
sufficient ambush check should be carried out on A category Loco Pilots.
8. Once a month, each LP should be available during the day time in HQ
so that proper counselling and monitoring can be undertaken.
E. Misc.
suggestions:
1. The signal sighting committees at supervisor level are
not effective. Even the officer level committees conduct the inspection
on mail/express and only sighting of signals on the main line is
addressed whereas those on the platform, loop lines go unattended.
2.
Since in most of the SPAD cases drivers above 55 years are involved, the
retirement age of LPs should be reduced to 55 years or they should be
made CC/PRC/LI if they want to continue beyond 55 years. Another
suggestion included making them Super LP.
3. The maximum duty hours of
mail/express drivers should be reduced to 6 hours as they encounter one
signal every minute on an average during their run.
4. NCR has started
the system of making the pass/PTO/Leave etc. available at the lobby
itself by providing a suitable drop box in which the running staff can
drop their request. This saves a lot of time he can avail his rest at
home station.
5. Instructions exist on NER that mobile phone should not
be used by a foot plating official as this distracts the LP and there
was a case of SPAD due to this very reason.
6. 100% housing should be
provided to drives as they are residing upto 50-60 kms. Away from their
station of posting and are taking a lot of time in commuting. They are
unable to get more than 10-12 hours of rest even at the home station
when they are provided 16 hr. rest.
7. The fitness of running staff
should be reviewed before any promotion and also after they have
attained an age of 50 years. A psychological test should also be
conducted to assess their fitness level and reaction time.
8. Families
of running staff to be counselled by LIs on ill effect of inadequate
rest, alcoholism etc.
9. The WLI should take note of the issues raised
by the running staff and should follow them up. He should also maintain a
record of such issues noted and resolved. A feedback to the running
staff via SMS will also be good.
10. Crew which reports after
leave/sickness/training should be booked after 6 hrs instead of odd
hours. Changes should also be made in CMS.
11. Timely crew review should
be done to creation of posts. DRM should be empowered to sanction the
post.
12.CC/PRC cadre should be permanent instead of drafted CC/PRC for
better controlling and monitoring of crew and train.
13. Since, most of
the SPAD cases have occurred after the crew has availed HQ rest, the
monitoring of LI should also be done on the first trip of a crew after
having availed rest.
14. The materialization factor of crew is about 40%
i.e. the number of crew indented to the number of crew who are finally
available on foot plate. The indenting should therefore be 2.5 times of
the vacancy
. 15. Joint signal sighting over all ZRs should be done
especially confusing signals and remedial action should be taken
. 16.
The drivers should be provided protection from being arrested in case of
accidents or run over of animals as this cases anxiety and increases
the stress level of drivers.
