Rail safety

Safety is central to everything we do and we believe that all injuries are preventable.


On this page, you will find resources to learn about:

Communicating information relating to emergencies quickly and effectively
Managing personal fatigue
Safely using medications within our Drug and Alcohol Policy
Accessing network rules and procedures via RailSafe
Accessing our Safety Management System.
Hazardous manual tasks
Hazardous goods and dangerous substances
Asbestos awareness
Rail Emergency Management
SHEM safety reporting

When an emergency occurs, it is vital that information relating to the emergency is communicated quickly and effectively.

To facilitate an effective response to an emergency, all relevant information must be promptly given to those groups required to respond.

Watch the video below to learn more about how to communicate in an emergency.

Watch the video below to learn about the phonetic alphabet.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about Emergency Communication.


Sydney Trains operates 24 hours, which involves work arrangements that can potentially increase the risk of fatigue.We are committed to managing fatigue risks through the implementation of a proactive risk management framework as the health and safety of all our workers and customers is integral to everything we do.

Watch the video below to learn about personal fatigue management.

Safe use of medications

Sydney Trains is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

Being free from drugs and alcohol means that we perform better and can make the right decisions because we all play a part in providing a safe environment for our staff and customers.

Certain medications, listed on the Medication Declaration Form, must be declared to your Line Manager or the Sydney Trains’ Chief Health Officer

If you have any doubt, or any medication is causing you side effects that could affect you at work, then this should be declared.

Visit the Drug and Alcohol page on the Intranet for more information.

The Sydney Trains Drug Information Card is a guide to the safe use of medications.

Click here to download the Drug information card


RailSafe

You can obtain the latest safeworking information including Network Rules and Procedures on the RailSafe website.


The Safety Management System (SMS)

Our Safety Management System (SMS) was established to enhance safety management performance throughout the organisation.

The SMS demonstrates our conformance to the required regulatory, statutory and industry requirements

The aim of a risk-based systematic approach to safety management is to provide a safe workplace and keep Sydney Trains in line with international best practice.

You can access a variety of System Procedures, Operating Procedures, Forms and Templates, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) and Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) on the SMS Intranet page.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about the Safety Management System (SMS).


Hazardous Manual Tasks

A task is considered hazardous if it requires high or sudden manual force, or if it involves any action that is:

Repetitive (performed more than twice a minute), or

• Sustained (held for more than 30 seconds at a time) and

• Performed for more than a total of 2 hours over a whole shift or continuously for more than 30 minutes.

We need to ensure that we:

• Identify manual task risk factors

• Adequately risk assess hazardous manual tasks

Implement appropriate controls to reduce risks.


Click here to download the Hazardous Manual Tasks Tip Sheet.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about Hazardous Manual Tasks.

You can access further information about Hazardous Goods and Dangerous Substances on the SMS Intranet page.


Hazardous Goods and Dangerous Substances

Dangerous goods are classified according to the immediate physical or chemical effects on people, property or the environment. They include classes of substances or articles that are explosive, flammable, corrosive chemically reactive, highly combustible, acutely toxic, and radioactive or have infectious properties.

Hazardous substances are classified only on the basis of the health effects, including short term, acute and long term, and chronic effects, which might result from exposure to them.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about Hazardous Manual Tasks.

You can access further information about Hazardous Goods and Dangerous Substances on the SMS Intranet page.


Asbestos Awareness

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fibre mined from the earth. As a result of its versatility (e.g. fire and water resistant), asbestos was used extensively in the building industry for many years. Such materials included asbestos cement products, sheet forms (used in roofs, ceilings and walls) and moulded forms (used in guttering and pipes).

There are two (2) main types of asbestos - bonded asbestos and friable asbestos.

Use of the material was banned in December 2003, as the health risks linked to asbestos became widely recognised and accepted.

Asbestos only poses a health risk when asbestos fibres are released into the air and inhaled or ingested. These fibres are so small that they cannot be seen by the human eye.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of asbestos-related diseases such as plural plaques, asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Whilst there is no safe level of exposure, the health risks increase with the number of fibres inhaled and with the frequency of exposure.

We might encounter asbestos through:

Damage or deterioration of existing asbestos materials caused by environmental conditions, accidents and vandalism

Poor work practices when conducting building maintenance, renovations or installation of new equipment

People illegally dumping materials on or around the rail corridor

Signal troughing.

If you suspect asbestos, you must report it immediately to your manager. Do not attempt to remove the asbestos yourself. This type of work requires specialist training and a Class A (friable) or Class B (bonded) asbestos removal licence.

It is often difficult to identify asbestos just by looking at it. As we have discussed, the health risks of a high level exposure are significant.

Therefore, you must act on all suspicions by reporting it immediately. A qualified occupational hygienist will then investigate.

To learn more about Asbestos, complete the AA02E Asbestos Awareness online module located in:

Transport Equip Self Services if accessing via desktop

Your SuccessFactors App if accessing via mobile or tablet device.


Rail Emergency Management

Rail Emergency Management (REM) is an incident management support tool that accelerates the process of sharing information between operational staff to resolve incidents quickly. Staff will be able to record, manage and access incidents efficiently and safely, plan practical responses and keep our customers moving. REM will allow critical incident information to be streamlined and transmitted in near to real-time, providing network staff with a single view of the information entered for an incident, how it’s being progressed and then reported. Staff managing incidents or delays will be able to access accurate, timely information allowing them to respond quicker, recover faster and restore services. It also allows train crew and station staff to access or report information directly from a mobile device, desktop or web portal, which lessens the impact to customers.

Download the REM Fact Sheet here.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about REM.

You can access further information about REM on the Sydney Trains intranet.


SHEM Safety Reporting

SHEM enables us to raise, process, investigate, manage and close events within one system.

We are able to better target investment to remove the root causes of environment, health and safety events and to provide safer and more environmentally conscious services to our customers.

The SHEM mobility solution is available under the Equip mobile application. You need to register your Transport Equip account on iPhone or iPad (under Equip app) to raise hazards, interactions and WHS incidents via your mobile device.

There are four (4) different event types reported in SHEM:

Unsafe condition – a physical hazard that may cause an incident

Unsafe act – a task being performed contrary to established risk controls

Near miss – an unplanned event that did not result in an incident, but had credible capacity to do so

Incident – an event that results in asset damage, breach of environmental legislation, injury or fatality.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about REM.

You can access further information about SHEM on the Sydney Trains intranet.


Safety is central to everything we do and we believe that all injuries are preventable.


On this page, you will find resources to learn about:

Communicating information relating to emergencies quickly and effectively
Managing personal fatigue
Safely using medications within our Drug and Alcohol Policy
Accessing network rules and procedures via RailSafe
Accessing our Safety Management System.
Hazardous manual tasks
Hazardous goods and dangerous substances
Asbestos awareness
Rail Emergency Management
SHEM safety reporting

When an emergency occurs, it is vital that information relating to the emergency is communicated quickly and effectively.

To facilitate an effective response to an emergency, all relevant information must be promptly given to those groups required to respond.

Watch the video below to learn more about how to communicate in an emergency.

Watch the video below to learn about the phonetic alphabet.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about Emergency Communication.


Sydney Trains operates 24 hours, which involves work arrangements that can potentially increase the risk of fatigue.We are committed to managing fatigue risks through the implementation of a proactive risk management framework as the health and safety of all our workers and customers is integral to everything we do.

Watch the video below to learn about personal fatigue management.

Safe use of medications

Sydney Trains is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

Being free from drugs and alcohol means that we perform better and can make the right decisions because we all play a part in providing a safe environment for our staff and customers.

Certain medications, listed on the Medication Declaration Form, must be declared to your Line Manager or the Sydney Trains’ Chief Health Officer

If you have any doubt, or any medication is causing you side effects that could affect you at work, then this should be declared.

Visit the Drug and Alcohol page on the Intranet for more information.

The Sydney Trains Drug Information Card is a guide to the safe use of medications.

Click here to download the Drug information card


RailSafe

You can obtain the latest safeworking information including Network Rules and Procedures on the RailSafe website.


The Safety Management System (SMS)

Our Safety Management System (SMS) was established to enhance safety management performance throughout the organisation.

The SMS demonstrates our conformance to the required regulatory, statutory and industry requirements

The aim of a risk-based systematic approach to safety management is to provide a safe workplace and keep Sydney Trains in line with international best practice.

You can access a variety of System Procedures, Operating Procedures, Forms and Templates, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) and Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) on the SMS Intranet page.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about the Safety Management System (SMS).


Hazardous Manual Tasks

A task is considered hazardous if it requires high or sudden manual force, or if it involves any action that is:

Repetitive (performed more than twice a minute), or

• Sustained (held for more than 30 seconds at a time) and

• Performed for more than a total of 2 hours over a whole shift or continuously for more than 30 minutes.

We need to ensure that we:

• Identify manual task risk factors

• Adequately risk assess hazardous manual tasks

Implement appropriate controls to reduce risks.


Click here to download the Hazardous Manual Tasks Tip Sheet.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about Hazardous Manual Tasks.

You can access further information about Hazardous Goods and Dangerous Substances on the SMS Intranet page.


Hazardous Goods and Dangerous Substances

Dangerous goods are classified according to the immediate physical or chemical effects on people, property or the environment. They include classes of substances or articles that are explosive, flammable, corrosive chemically reactive, highly combustible, acutely toxic, and radioactive or have infectious properties.

Hazardous substances are classified only on the basis of the health effects, including short term, acute and long term, and chronic effects, which might result from exposure to them.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about Hazardous Manual Tasks.

You can access further information about Hazardous Goods and Dangerous Substances on the SMS Intranet page.


Asbestos Awareness

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fibre mined from the earth. As a result of its versatility (e.g. fire and water resistant), asbestos was used extensively in the building industry for many years. Such materials included asbestos cement products, sheet forms (used in roofs, ceilings and walls) and moulded forms (used in guttering and pipes).

There are two (2) main types of asbestos - bonded asbestos and friable asbestos.

Use of the material was banned in December 2003, as the health risks linked to asbestos became widely recognised and accepted.

Asbestos only poses a health risk when asbestos fibres are released into the air and inhaled or ingested. These fibres are so small that they cannot be seen by the human eye.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of asbestos-related diseases such as plural plaques, asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Whilst there is no safe level of exposure, the health risks increase with the number of fibres inhaled and with the frequency of exposure.

We might encounter asbestos through:

Damage or deterioration of existing asbestos materials caused by environmental conditions, accidents and vandalism

Poor work practices when conducting building maintenance, renovations or installation of new equipment

People illegally dumping materials on or around the rail corridor

Signal troughing.

If you suspect asbestos, you must report it immediately to your manager. Do not attempt to remove the asbestos yourself. This type of work requires specialist training and a Class A (friable) or Class B (bonded) asbestos removal licence.

It is often difficult to identify asbestos just by looking at it. As we have discussed, the health risks of a high level exposure are significant.

Therefore, you must act on all suspicions by reporting it immediately. A qualified occupational hygienist will then investigate.

To learn more about Asbestos, complete the AA02E Asbestos Awareness online module located in:

Transport Equip Self Services if accessing via desktop

Your SuccessFactors App if accessing via mobile or tablet device.


Rail Emergency Management

Rail Emergency Management (REM) is an incident management support tool that accelerates the process of sharing information between operational staff to resolve incidents quickly. Staff will be able to record, manage and access incidents efficiently and safely, plan practical responses and keep our customers moving. REM will allow critical incident information to be streamlined and transmitted in near to real-time, providing network staff with a single view of the information entered for an incident, how it’s being progressed and then reported. Staff managing incidents or delays will be able to access accurate, timely information allowing them to respond quicker, recover faster and restore services. It also allows train crew and station staff to access or report information directly from a mobile device, desktop or web portal, which lessens the impact to customers.

Download the REM Fact Sheet here.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about REM.

You can access further information about REM on the Sydney Trains intranet.


SHEM Safety Reporting

SHEM enables us to raise, process, investigate, manage and close events within one system.

We are able to better target investment to remove the root causes of environment, health and safety events and to provide safer and more environmentally conscious services to our customers.

The SHEM mobility solution is available under the Equip mobile application. You need to register your Transport Equip account on iPhone or iPad (under Equip app) to raise hazards, interactions and WHS incidents via your mobile device.

There are four (4) different event types reported in SHEM:

Unsafe condition – a physical hazard that may cause an incident

Unsafe act – a task being performed contrary to established risk controls

Near miss – an unplanned event that did not result in an incident, but had credible capacity to do so

Incident – an event that results in asset damage, breach of environmental legislation, injury or fatality.

Visit the CSA Program Learning Resources Hub to access more resources about REM.

You can access further information about SHEM on the Sydney Trains intranet.


Page last updated: 17 Jun 2020, 08:01 AM