Operator safety on railroad worksites
When a train approaches, the lookout (who has been trained by us and whose job solely involves looking out for approaching trains) sounds the alarm, a high-powered horn.
The warning can be heard throughout the worksite (120 dB, a sound-level equivalent to that of a fire-engine siren). Extended or complex railroad worksites may require two or more lookouts, who together form a network of warnings.
Setting up the track warning system with FS SAFETY
To protect operators and allow the passage of trains next to railroad worksites, the Employee Safety Officer (ESO) sets up a track warning system. The ESO will compute the warning distance, factoring in the local environment, the warning time and the time needed to reach the safety area. The ESO will then organise the required number of lookouts and site wardens for the warning distance in question. He or she will then check visibility and carry out an audibility test to make sure that all the safety requirements are met.
FS SAFETY places special emphasis on strict compliance with the process of setting up track warning systems. Our experience and expertise allows us to design and implement specific solutions for every worksite to allow employees to work in complete safety.
While the lookout-operated warning system is an efficient standalone solution, it can be combined with others such as the Automatic Track Warning System (ATWS) or Radio Warning Systems (RWS), safety barriers and temporary speed limits, according to requirements and the worksite environment (topography, size, etc.)
