Accident Report / Recommendations Request

Apologies for raising a ghastly subject, but would anyone be able to link to the report into the early 1990s fatality to a member of loco crew at the Mid Hants please?
Pre RAIB, so not readily available online so far as I can see.
Some important lessons and recommendations from this, which after the passage of time may not be known to some.

many thanks if you’re able to help.

 

I was a volunteer Signalman on the MHR from 1976 to 2013. I have absolutely NO KNOWLEDGE of there ever being a fatality to any member of staff.
Have you got the right Railway?

 

From memory a fireman was in the tender moving coal forward and struck by a bridge

 

I was there on that day, working in the yard, I helped prep and clean the loco, As i understand it, the person, was standing in the coal space trimming coal, he was facing away from the low bridge, and his head was struck by it, The crew were un aware of what happened until they pulled into Alresford, when a major incident was enacted, after this, every member of loco, who was on the footplate was told you do not go into the coal space whilst in motion, To this day, I don't think any of us know why he decided to trim the coal, he was an experienced footplate man, and we can only think he became complacent, as did the driver and fireman,

 

I remember the fall out. A forceful reminder of what one person can be expected to be able to supervise. Perhaps some “organisational amnesia” elsewhere, and it would be helpful to put some documentation in front of people.

 

There was no published report on that accident. An FOI request to ORR, who hold the papers, might be your best bet.

 

I do not see the point of publishing a report on this horrible accident. The main points have been stated by Martin already. The key learning is simple. Do not climb on the coal when the engine is moving. This point is drilled into new cleaners. If there is evidence or experience that something worrying is happening other than this at a railway then raise it with the management urgently.

 

As 21B has stated, there is nothing to be gained into any publishing of this matter, it's common sence, and I am sure, that cleaners and new footplate staff have it made very clear, what is safe, and what isn't safe to do,

 

Is it still the case that the tenders carry a cast plaque above the coal hole, with instruction to not enter the tender while in motion (or words to that effect)?
Pat

 

I wonder if anyone was ever "hauled over the coals" for ignoring that one?

 

Thank you.

The lessons from this went much further than the obvious of not climbing up when then loco is in motion. Also the supervising of more than one person in training at once. Just how much it is sensible to have “going on” on a footplate at any one time.

Let us leave the matter there. Thank you to all who contributed.

 

I suspect that, today, this would have led to output from RAIB - whether report or safety digest I wouldn’t like to say.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

no, but drivers became very aware of the need to ensure that everyone was back on the footplate once it was departure time, The drivers i had were very strict on that front, but saying that, earlier on, a few did lose their drivers tickets mostly for breaking the speed limit, and abusing the engines, one in particular, i can remember ran Thomas hot, on a week day Thomas event, i was on James, double heading, and our instructions were you do most of the work because Thomas needs attention, needless to say, We were train engine, Thomas pilot, and he dragged us and the train out of the station, then lied about it when asked to explain.