Basis for Recommendation
According to I-PLM-5001, RRV Operators must have completed four courses: PTS; Safe Pass; CSCS (for their nominated piece of plant e.g. excavator); and IÉ-IM’s RRVO Safety Training Course. The PTS and IÉ-IM RRVO Safety Training Course are railway specific courses related to railway safety awareness and infrastructure knowledge, respectively. The Safe Pass course is a basic construction safety awareness course. The remaining course, for the CSCS Certification requires the person to attend a three-day course with a practical assessment followed by two-hundred logged supervised hours on the machinery, finished with a one-day assessment. The current method of training means that an RRVO can present for work on the IÉ network without ever having operated an RRV in rail mode; there is also current no requirement for monitored competency; and, when an RRVO has been involved in an incident/accident there is no form of structure development or support for the RRVO. It should also be noted, that of the sixteen occurrences reviewed by the RAIU, eight involved RRVOs who had attended the RRVO Safety Training Course. As a result, the RAIU have found that RRVOs can be completely inexperienced in the operation of RRVs meaning that RRVOs find it difficult to on-track and operate RRVs; and require direct assistance from the RRVCs in carrying out their duties. As a result of the above the RAIU make the following safety recommendation to improve RRVOs training and experience: