The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released its report today into a fatal accident at Bronwydd Arms station on the Gwili Railway on 19 July 2006.
The full report is available here:
A summary of the key points from the report is included below -
Summary
On Wednesday 19 July 2006 a volunteer train guard on the Gwili Railway became trapped between two carriages as they were being coupled together during a shunting manoeuvre at Bronwydd Arms station. He died from his injuries in hospital later that day.
The immediate causes of the accident were a misunderstanding of shunting hand signals, resulting in the driver moving a carriage to couple up to others that were stationary, and at the same time the guard stepping into the gap between the carriages in the belief that the vehicles would not move. There were four contributory factors to the accident. The underlying causes were the practice of volunteers multi-tasking in safety-critical activities, and on this occasion without clear understanding of their limits, and the safety management organisation and its application at the railway.
Recommendations
The RAIB has made nine recommendations aimed at:
- shunting procedures;
- the management of safety related documents and records;
- the competence and medical standards for staff; and
- compliance with safety procedures and standards.
Notes to Editors
1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. The RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.
2. For media enquiries please call 020 7944 6984.
Newsdate: 3 July 2007
