CPA Bulletin

44 CPA Bulletin > February/March 2021 www.cpa.uk.net rail plant association RAIL PLANT ASSOCIATION: 1 Operational Challenges In previous issues, we delved into the challenges of working under or near overhead line equipment with OTP, and delivery point management. Both of these activities bring significant risk to the OTP suppliers, and in both cases, OTP suppliers need the client’s help to mitigate the risks they bring. This time we’re discussing, what some consider a controversial topic; the On- Track Plant Operating Scheme. On-Track Plant Operating Scheme (POS) The Challenges • Interpretation of the scheme rules and the Network Rail Standard for POS (P521) in general • Customer expectations • Understanding roles and responsibilities of POS staff • POS Rep competence OK, I’ve got my hard hat on and its firmly secured. This is a topic that often results in heated debates. Don’t assume we’re going to iron out every wrinkle on this subject, but please read on and hear our view. Background Before we study today, we should remind ourselves how it was yesterday. I joined the railway in 2003 after an enjoyable 16 years working for the late Richard Budge, mining coal. The way plant is put to work on rail sites was vastly different. In mining, things were simple. Dozens of mobile plant would work 65 hours every week. The site agent was overall in charge of production and safety, a general foreman would oversee a foreman supervising plant operations, and a foreman supervising the fitters. It’s a crude description, but pretty much how things were. One agent managing the site, two foreman supervising. The rail ‘way’ Many of you will recall the ‘safety-case’. For some it was a mythical/magical document held by a rail company allowing them to use OTP on the infrastructure. I’m being flippant because it was likely only brought out for audits. In the mid-2000s, OTP was removed from the scope of equipment which required a safety-case to operate and the Rail Plant Operating Company in Possessions Licence (POL) was introduced, in an attempt to help improve OTP use safety. Things were not so pleasant back then for OTP operators and machine/crane controllers. Many could share camp-fire stories of the horrors they’d been asked to do on site with OTP. It is no secret that OTP was hired with an operator and utilised on site as the customer saw fit. Planning was poor and bullying operators and controllers was common practice. “Do it or you won’t work on our sites again” were regular threats. Minor improvements came with the POL but the real ‘shake up’ and positive culture change began with the introduction of the POS. It is known that during the first half of 2014 there were over 130 accident and incidents involving OTP. In response, Network Rail introduced the radical change of POS Rules, which a year later became the standard ‘NR/ L2/ RMVP/0200/Module P521’ in December 2015. How has the POS matured? Over six years later, and the POS culture change has been bumpy. Many contractors hiring in OTP have argued it is of no value and just an additional cost to them. Others have embraced the change and seen the benefits. One thing for certain, POS has had a positive impact on OTP safety. Some challenges • Interpretation of the scheme rules and the Network Rail Standard for POS (P521) in general Unlike other NR Standards which were very prescriptive, P521 was a standard written in a different style. It detailed a set of rules, leaving POS providers and customers hiring OTP, some flexibility on how to meet those rules. This ‘risk based’ approach was something new, and may explain in part, why POS suppliers deliver their services slightly different to each other, thus one reason why the standard may be interpreted differently. • Customer expectations With such a large supply chain, it is reasonable to note some companies managing sites will have better understanding, experience, and knowledge of OTP than others. Therefore, the duty of the POS provider is to advise all its customers on the correct type of OTP and correct numbers of OTP they will need Welcome to 2021 and well done to the on-track plant (OTP) communities for helping their clients and principal contractors safely deliver a busy block of Christmas works. We know how challenging it is to supply resource over the festive period.