Source: Radio New Zealand
Nine parked wagons in a Port Chalmers yard slowly rolled back and hit a locomotive in January last year. Donovan Govan, Otago Regional Council
Transport accident investigators are calling on KiwiRail to improve its safety culture at Port Otago.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) on Thursday released its final report into a near miss with rail crew involving runaway wagons on 23 January last year.
In the early hours of the morning, nine parked wagons in a Port Chalmers yard slowly rolled back and hit a locomotive, disconnecting it from other wagons it was already attached to.
No one was injured, but the locomotive and wagons sustained moderate damage.
One crew member spotted a moving shadow and realised what was happening, allowing themselves and another crew member to get clear seconds before the collision.
TAIC’s chief investigator of accidents, Louise Cook, said the accident showed how quickly a job could turn from routine to dangerous.
“This event was low-speed, but not low-risk. A 472-tonne rake of wagons moving at only a walking pace carries enough force to cause serious injury or death.”
In its report, the commission noted that the wagons were incorrectly secured, there was inadequate radio communication and training gaps for shunt staff.
“The crew had moved from the task of securing wagons in one location to the task of coupling wagons in another location without ensuring the first task was fully closed out,” Cook said.
It also found several indications that rail-safety culture needing strengthening.
“Particularly with respect to the high levels of acceptance of both rule violation and at-risk behaviours,” the report said.
KiwiRail’s chief operations officer Duncan Roy. RNZ / Marika Khabazi
KiwiRail’s chief operations officer Duncan Roy said although there were no injuries, this was a serious incident, and KiwiRail treated it as such.
Roy said KiwiRail had already taken significant steps in response to TAIC’s recommendations.
“We have accepted the Commission’s recommendation to take immediate steps to further improve the safety culture at the Port of Otago rail yard.
“KiwiRail is working hard to improve safety throughout the organisation, and, with guidance from global experts, has developed an ongoing company-wide programme to build a safety culture where everyone chooses to be responsible for protecting themselves and everyone around them.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
