CPA Bulletin

rail plant association RAIL PLANT ASSOCIATION: 1 David Simmons RPA Chairman It is with great sadness that we report the untimely death of StephanWilliams who passed away suddenly on the 3rd August 2018. Stevewas a very popular member of the RPA Management committee, being elected in 2014 he hasmade a significant contribution to the Association. Hewas warm, personable and very professional contributing his vast knowledge of cranes and rail plant. The committee expressed sincere condolences to Steve’s family and colleagues. The work of the Association naturally moves on and we give an update on the initiatives and issues that concern our members, including more collaboration with important agencies working within the industry. INDUSTRY FEEDBACK You may recall that a letter went out to all the membership in June of this year asking them what their three major concerns were so that we could pursue them with the appropriate authorities. The request to the membership was a simply worded one but elicited a tremendous response, showing up many issues that the industry suffers. If any member did not reply at the time but now thinks there are some issues not being addressed, it is not too late, we would very much like to hear from you. David Simmons hasmet with Steve Featherstone of Network Rail, principally to introduce himself and explain howhis new role of independent chairman will work in the future. This was also an opportunity to briefly discuss the issues that had been raised by the industry. These are also the agenda items requested for the Rail Plant Association Leadership Alliancemeeting which will have taken place before publication of this article. The involvement of members is important to the way the industry is shaped in the coming years and there are many forums for having our voice heard. INDUSTRY PARTNERS We always had a good relationship with the Office of Rail and Road but the organisation went through many changes and we lost touch, so it was good to re-engage at our August meeting. TomWake, the Head of Network Rail Route Teams presented an excellent overview of the Office of Rail and Road’s current strategy regarding on track plant. He discussed their involvement with inspections and how they monitor incidents and investigations. This encouraged an extremely frank and lively discussion regarding some specific incidents and how some hypothetical events would need to be dealt with. The current concerns of the Office of Rail and Road can be summarised as follows- • Inaccurate or non-existent written systems of work • Systems of work not followed • Unreported incidents • Effectiveness of Supervision • Adequacy of planning Should any member wish to discuss any of these issues further please let the office know and we will be able to take your points further. We are pleased that our dialogue with the ORR will be ongoing and mutually beneficial. Some of the RPA committee members also attended a recent Plant Risk Workshop organised by MalcolmMiles, the Professional Head of Plant at Network Rail. It is believed that as an industry there are too many incidents and with all the necessary stakeholders getting together, it was important to identify possible reasons why they might occur. Some recent incidents were reviewed, as well as consideration being given to Points Run Through (PRTs) and collisions with infrastructure. A plan was made to address a number of actions and another workshop proposed in the future where the RPA will again be represented. DOCUMENTATION REVIEW The RPA are embarking on a review of a number of documents and your input would be welcome. At this stage they are just reviews but if changes are felt to be necessary they will be amended over the next few months. www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > December 2018 55