An Iarnród Éireann employee working on a railway track near Cork city had to dive to the ground to allow a maintenance vehicle to pass over him to avoid serious injury, an investigation has revealed.
The incident occurred on the Cork-Cobh railway line on July 6, 2020 while a maintenance crew was relaying track and carrying out repair work to a bridge between Woodhill and Tivoli.
A report by the Railway Accident Investigation Unit highlighted how the railway engineer felt something striking his back while he was on the track and instinctively decided to "go to ground."
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The engineer told RAIU officials that he lay as flat as possible between the rails as knew the dumper was going to travel over him.
The report revealed he sustained a cut to his nose and soft tissue injuries to his arms and ribs during the incident which occurred as he was walking along the track while unaware of the dumper approaching him from behind.
Although an ambulance was called to the scene, the injured party did not require hospital attendance.
However, the report stated: "Under slightly different circumstances, the accident may have led to a serious accident with the potential for a fatality or serious injuries."
The driver of the dumper was unaware he had struck and travelled over the engineer until he was alerted to the situation by other workers.
The report noted that the dumper was travelling at under 8km/h in conformity with Iarnród Éireann’s rule book and stopped 22 metres past the point of the collision.
The report found the failure of the engineer to carry out safety checks before walking on the track was the main factor which caused the incident.
The RAIU said he had not followed personal safety requirements as outlined in Iarnród Éireann’s rule book which instructs staff to maintain vigilance while crossing in front of approaching trains and not going between vehicles.
It said he had also failed to check the dumper’s directional lights which would have indicated it was about to make a forward movement towards him.
The RAIU said the engineer had not considered the dumper driver’s blind spot or sought to gain his attention.
It noted that staff were made aware during training that drivers of dumpers do not have a clear view ahead due to the design of the vehicle and the load they are carrying.
Investigators said a contributory factor was that the engineer may have got the incorrect impression that the dumper was not going to move imminently as the vehicle had been left turned on for approximately 10 minutes while stationary on the track with its directional lights set for forward movement.
The RAIU did not make any safety recommendations in relation to the movement of dumpers arising out of the case due to measures already taken by Iarnród Éireann in response to a previous incident.
It also noted that additional monitors had been installed on dumpers to ensure drivers have a clear view of the line ahead while it is in motion.
However, it recommended that Iarnród Éireann should introduce a policy on the use of mobile phones and all handheld electronic devices when working on the railway.
The report noted the engineer had been using his mobile phone to make a number of calls just prior to the incident.
Following the incident, Iarnród Éireann issued a safety alert to remind staff of the risk of being close to rail-mounted machinery.
The RAIU also revealed that Iarnród Éireann is conducting tests on the use of wearable items that would sound an audible warning and vibration to alert staff when a safety zone around rail machinery is breached.
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