London Underground should review the assessment and control of risks arising from working on the Metropolitan Line during traffic hours, says the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).
It is one of four recommendations made in a report on an incident where a track worker was struck and injured by a LU train near Chalfont & Latimer station on 15 April 2022. The worker was undertaking the role of second lookout on a planned patrol in the area. She had been provided by a recruitment agency for the day’s work, which was due to take place when trains were running.
Investigations found the accident happened because the track worker had moved from a place of safety and into the approaching train’s path to get a better view of the track ahead just as the train was about to pass her. She was walking with her back to the approaching train when she was struck and was not aware of the risk the train posed her.
The probe found that the track worker was unfamiliar with the location of the accident and that safety briefings provided to her on the day were not effective at giving her the information she needed to work safely.
Underlying factors identified were that LU’s processes for managing track worker safety did not adequately …
