Article: QR blamed for deaths, union pre-empts report

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

QR blamed for deaths, union pre-empts report

QR blamed for deaths, union pre-empts report
Article from: The Courier-Mail

James O'Loan

May 12, 2008 12:00am

QUEENSLAND Rail's "negligence" led to the death of two workers west of Mackay last December, a rail union says.

Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Owen Doogan says yet-to-be released reports into the deaths of father Jamie Adams, 31, and Gary Watkins, 22, at Mindi, will point to unsafe work practices.

"We believe that QR has been negligent in this instance," Mr Doogan told The Courier-Mail yesterday.

The QR employees were killed on December 7 when an approaching track-maintenance vehicle dragged them "for some distance" along the tracks, a police inspector said at the time.

Five months later, reports by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and Queensland Transport's Rail Safety Unit are still being finalised.

A spokesman for Transport Minister John Mickel said the minister was expected to receive the RSU's report within two months.

Mr Doogan said QR's safety record was poor, highlighted over the Labour Day weekend when, near Maryborough, about 20 staff worked marathon shifts of between 17 and 36 hours without a break.

"It's very disheartening to hear that QR is gambling with its employees' safety in this manner, particularly so soon after two workers were killed working on tracks outside Mindi," Mr Doogan said.

"I ask how anyone can be expected to work safely in these conditions for over 12 hours, let alone 36 hours straight."

QR chief executive officer Lance Hockridge said the matter was being investigated.

"Let me make it very clear that if these claims are proven to be correct, then disciplinary action will be taken against any manager who authorised such work practices," Mr Hockridge said.

"This work practice is simply unacceptable."

A QR spokesman said the company had made safety improvements since the Mindi fatalities.

"At QR, safety is our highest priority. QR will not tolerate anything that compromises safety," the spokesman said.

"However there is always room for improvement."

[Huggies]

I passed the area where the incident occurred last week. The families & friends of the men who were killed have placed flowers & photos as a tribute.



It was rather sad to read the tributes to these men.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
18/06/2008

Independent report into Mindi fatalities released

QR will produce an action plan to address an independent report into the accidental deaths of two rail workers at Mindi, south west of Mackay, late last year.

Jamie Adams, 31 and Gary Watkins, 22, were killed when they were struck by a track machine while working on a rail line at Mindi, about 130 kilometres south west of Mackay, on December 7 last year.

Minister for Transport John Mickel said the investigation had made 22 recommendations to QR on operational procedures and a further seven recommendations for Queensland Transport to enhance its regulatory functions.

Mr Mickel said he had called for QR and Queensland Transport to provide regular progress reports.

"The investigation was held to determine the cause of this tragic accident and to uncover any contributing factors in order to improve rail safety. It was not conducted to apportion blame, but to enhance safety," Mr Mickel said.

Workplace Health and Safety and Coronial inquiries are currently under way.

Today Queensland Transport officers visited the homes of Mr Adams' and Mr Watkins' family to deliver a personal message from Mr Mickel and to provide copies of the report.

Mr Mickel said the report had analysed the evidence and conditions surrounding the accident. It had revealed an overall lack of compliance with QR Limited's safety management system and inadequate communication and coordination.

"QR must act on the report's recommendations immediately to improve workplace safety," he said.

"Already two interim recommendations, made in January this year, relating to work practices have been implemented and acted upon.

"Any accident which results in loss of life is one accident too many.

"The CEO of QR, Lance Hockridge, said on day one of his appointment that instilling a culture of safety into the organisation was a top priority. This report highlights the urgency of that task.

"This is a tragedy that should never have happened. People's lives are too important - their protection is the basis of responsible workplace safety. The absence of workplace safety results in tragedies such as this."

Queensland Transport as the Rail Safety Regulator will now work with QR Limited to ensure recommendations in the report are fully implemented to further improve rail safety in Queensland.

The report made seven recommendations to Queensland Transport to enhance its regulatory functions.

June 18, 2008

==============================================================

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here

Report finds workers did not have breaks before fatal accident
Article from: AAP

Petrina Berry

June 18, 2008 05:30pm

THREE Queensland Rail workers did not have required 10-hour breaks in the lead-up to the accidental deaths of two of their colleagues, a report has found.

Jamie Adams, 31, and Gary Watkins, 22, were killed when they were struck by a track machine while working on a rail line at Mindi, about 130km south-west of Mackay, on December 7 last year.

An independent report into their deaths was released today with 22 recommendations for QR to improve its operational procedures and seven recommendations for Queensland Transport to improve its regulatory functions.

The report found "an overall lack of compliance" with QR's safety management system and inadequate communication and coordination contributed to the deaths.

"QR must act on the report's recommendations immediately to improve workplace safety," Transport Minister John Mickel said.

"Already two interim recommendations, made in January this year, relating to work practices have been implemented and acted upon.

"This is a tragedy that should never have happened. People's lives are too important. Their protection is the basis of responsible workplace safety.

"The absence of workplace safety results in tragedies such as this."

Queensland Transport as the rail safety regulator will now work with QR to ensure recommendations in the report are implemented.

Workplace Health and Safety and coronial inquiries are currently under way.

Queensland Transport officers visited the homes of the Adams and Watkins families to deliver copies of the report.

[ozbob]

RIP

The Australian Railway Monument has been ignored up to this point by the Queensland Government.

See here for details -->  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=100.msg634#msg634

[ozbob]

Damning report shows major flaws with rail safety

Thursday, 19 June 2008

A damning report into the death of two rail workers at Mindi in North Queensland last year has revealed a culture of complacency in Queensland Rail.

The final report found numerous mistakes and oversights led to the death of the two crew workers who were hit by a reversing track machine.

The report outlined 41 issues within Queensland Rail and Queensland Transport, making 29 recommendations regarding safety procedures.

Shadow Minister for Transport Tim Nicholls said the report exposed the State Government?s failure, as operator and regulator, to provide rail workers with a safe working environment.

"The reports lists mistake after mistake, outlining numerous problems with the way both QR and QT approach rail safety," he said.

"Despite the State Government?s assurance it places an emphasis on workplace health and safety, this report shows the exact opposite."

The report is filled with damning statements such as:

    * an ?apparent complacency of senior staff was, over time, subtly transferred to junior staff thus ensuring the continuation of the cycle?,

    * ?it permitted a technically unserviceable train to operate in work mode within a worksite?,

    * ?the perceptions of production over safety and the conflict between revenue operations and maintenance were further reinforced through this occurrence?, and

    * ?this crew feared operational retribution for reporting any event like this?.

Just five months before the incident, track maintenance workers were nearly hit by a train at nearby Peak Downs. And in the five days after the fatalities two trains derailed at Nine Mile Creek, north of Mackay and at Petrie, north of Brisbane.

"Despite a similar incident occurring just months earlier, it appears neither QR, QT or the State Government took any urgent action after what should have been a timely warning," Mr Nicholls said.

"This report shows both QR and QT are in serious need of a major overhaul.

"The State Government must act on the recommendations immediately and provide regular updates on their implementation," he said.

"Queensland?s rail workers deserve a safer work environment than what is currently being delivered."

http://www.qldcoalition.org.au/news/article.aspx?ID=2511

[ozbob]

I just heard a report on the radio that QR will be  prosecuted by the WHS re this incident.

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

'Pillow talk' tip-off derails safety sting

'Pillow talk' tip-off derails safety sting
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Steven Wardill

September 11, 2008 12:00am

ALLEGATIONS that pillow talk led to Queensland Rail's hierarchy being tipped off about "secret audits" of its safety have been referred to the state's corruption watchdog.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission has been approached to investigate claims of a flow of information between QR's safety arm and Queensland Transport's rail safety unit.

Dates and details of surprise stings were allegedly shared by QT's rail safety unit principal adviser Sue Ford with her husband Greg Ford, a senior member of QR's safety division.

The investigation comes after a high-level report exposed QR's appalling safety culture, with one in five QR staff injured each year while investigations of accidents were "minimal".

Calls for an independent inquiry into safety procedures within the State Government-owned corporation have gathered momentum following the latest allegations.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said the allegations were serious and an independent inquiry was needed to assure commuters and staff that the entire system was safe.

"QR needs an independent inquiry into its safety practices to ensure management is acting appropriately," she said.

"It's commuters who are suffering while QR and the Beattie-Bligh Government struggle to get their priorities right."

But Transport Minister John Mickel said allegations about the potential conflict of interest had been referred to the CMC.

Mr Mickel said he was made aware of the claims on Tuesday and had referred the matter.

He said QT had advised him that the department was aware of the relationship and had procedures in place to avoid any conflict of interest.

Mr Mickel said the QT officer had been stood down from investigations and if the CMC referred the matter back to his department then an independent person would be appointed to investigate.

In other news yesterday, QR has been charged over the deaths of two track workers last December. Workplace Health and Safety officers yesterday summonsed QR to the Mackay Industrial Magistrate's Court over the deaths of Gary Watkins and Jamie Adams, who died when they were hit by heavy machinery on the lines at Mindi outside Mackay on December 7.

Glen Mullins, executive general manager QR services, will also be charged and was yesterday moved into a non-operational role.

QR faces three charges which allege the company failed to discharge its obligations under the Workplace Health and Safety Act.

Comment: The article says that 1 in 5 people are injured each year?  This can't be correct can it?    Or is this just the incidence of sick leave??

[Derwan]

Comment: The article says that 1 in 5 people are injured each year?  This can't be correct can it?    Or is this just the incidence of sick leave??

Chances are the rate is calculated like this:

Number of Incidents Reported DIVIDED BY the Average Number of staff for the year.

It also depends on how they produce the figure for the number of injuries/incidents.  I know that "near misses" and "dangerous incidents" can sometimes be included in "incident" figures - although using the word "injured" suggests they are limiting the incident data to those that include injury.  Minor injuries would definitely be included - which could include minor cuts and abrasions.

Some sections of QR (e.g. workshops at Redbank) could have a high incident rate - with the majority of incidents being minor.  Using the above calculation, this would contribute to the overall "average" for the whole of QR.