SHUNTING RISK

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 165, 9 April 1926, Page 10

SHUNTING RISK

NOT UNDULY HIGH SOME REMEDIABLE DEFECTS INDIVIDUAL EFFICIENCY AND ERROR The Departmental Board set up by the Railways Department to inquire into shunting accidents—which about that time were fairly frequent—reports that the accidents were due not to changed conditions, but in the, majority of cases to errors of judgment; that the work is not dangerous to men who are physically active and mentally alert; and that the majority of shunters possess these qualifications.

Commenting on the last-mentioned finding, the Railways Board .of Management says that investigations are now being 'made to determine which men are unsuitable, and to have these men transferred to duties compatible to their qualifications. Another observation of the Departmental Board of inquiry is that a number of the foot rests on which shunters stand on the engines are worn smooth, with the result that the men are liable to slip. These foot rests should be kept jagged. Concerning. this the Railways Board of Management remarks that action is being taken t’o improve tlie foot rests. The number of men in tlie shunting gangs (reports lhe Departmental Board of Inquiry) is generally satisfactory, with few exceptions, provided no men are withdrawn for other duties, a practice which prevails at a number of places, and which should be avoided where possible.

Ten Years’ Accidents. Apart from the above points, the report seems to be generally a condonation of existing conditions, with Reservations as to defects often found in a growing traffic system. The Departmental Board of Inquiry consisted of a district traffic manager, an engineer, and two shunters. It analyses the accidents for the ten years ended June, •1925, including 40 fatal. The principal causes of fata) accidents were:—Knocked down by moving vehicles or engine, 14; slipping or jumping off wagons or cowcatchers of engines, 8. For ten years prior to the fatal accident which occurred to Shunter Carmichael at Palmerston North on August 3, 1925, tailroping caused one serious and ten minor accidents; and one fatal and two minor accidents were due to slip shunting of wagons. The total of accidents for the ten years’ period summarised was 869, of which 10 were fatal, 30 serious. The following further passages show the general trend of the report of the Departmental Board of Inquiry:— It had been stated in evidence that a contributing cause of accident was the employment of inexperienced men in tlie shunting yards. This, says the Departmental Board of Inquiry, may be true in some respects, but it is a significant fact that during the war years when the staff was at a low ebb and there was a shortage of experienced men, the average number of fatal accidents per year was lower than for the years following 1918. In 1919 no fatal accidents occurred.

Unfit to be Shunters. In recent years the numerous promotions and resignations and the increase in staff required to handle the increased business has in certain directions impaired the working efficiency in some of the shunting yards, and these frequent changes, together with the placing of some men in shunting yards who were insufficiently alert or temperamentally unfitted for the work, constituting a danger to themselves and their workmates, has to a certain extent contributed to a number of accidents in recent years. Shunting work requires to be performed with reasonable quickness, and even under the very- best conditions a member employed at this work is liable to make a miscalculation or slip, and be seriously injured or killed. . Concerning hours: During the busyseason long hours are worked at some of the stations,, and this should be avoided where possible. The six-hour dav is considered . too costly, and the sevenhour day impracticable. Seven and a half hour shifts should apply at Auckland, Frankton, Marton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington, Lyttelton, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, Invercargill, and Grey-mouth, where the shunting work is of an arduous nature. Very few complaints were received from shunters in regard to the time allowed for the making up of trains, and there appears to be no justification for the statements made in newspapers that the speeding up of the express trains had speeded up the shunting work. The supervision of the work has generally been found to be sufficient. The control of the shunting work, with the exception of Palmerston North, has generally been found to be satisfactory. Electric Light Preferred. The lighting of shunting yards, with few exceptions, is fairly good, and where the electric light has been installed it has considerably improved working conditions. When the additional lights recommended have been placed in position and the lighting programme has been completed, one of the most serious complaints in regard to the conditions under w.hich shunters are working will have been removed. Gas lighting in yards is generally tinsatisfactory. In some cases lights are not placed to the best advantage, and in future when new lights are being installed members conversant with the working of the yards should be consulted.

Suggestions are offered as to the layout of shunting yards—such as grading 'them so that a wagon will gravitate from either end towards the centre —and the following general remarks are made: —Although the lay-out of a number of the shunting yards is good, the majority of them are not effective for the quick handling of the traffic. This has been brought about in some cases by patching the yards instead of reconstructing them, which results in wagons having to be handled several times with a consequent delay to the work and traffic and increased operating costs. The main difficulty experienced nt the various centres is the lack of sufficient siding accommodation, and the want of long roads for receiving and dispatching trains. The traffic has outgrown the capacity of the yards at some centres, and at other places the roads are. too short to accommodate the long train now handled. The congested areas at some of the yards and the want of suitably arranged accommodation for handling the wagons has increased the difficulties of the shunters and the rV.k of accident. The demand for the quicker handling of roods makes it essential that the facilities should provide for the handling of the traffic through the shunting vards with the least effort and the greatest speed. Consultation With Yard Staff. BMore additions or alterations to the

lav-out of a yard are made, the yard staff should be consulted. Men should be paid at the maximum rate for time spent in charge of a regular shunting engine and shunting engine gang. One of the greatest risks in shunting in New Zealand is the need for hand-coupling and uncoupling. Of 869 accidents in ten years, 214 of them, principally minor accidents, were due to employees going between vehicles for the purpose of attending to the couplings. The designing of a mechatiical device which would minimise the need for men going between vehicles ahould 'be investigated.