Network Rail – Diesel Spill Inverness Signal Box

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular: NP/092/25

29^th May 2025

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague

 

NETWORK RAIL – DIESEL FUMES INVERNESS SIGNALLING CENTRE (SC)

 

Further to head office circular NP/61/25, dated 28^th March 2025, a few days after a meeting with your RMT lead officer, the following suggestion was made by the company as to how it co-ordinates the on-going management of Inverness SC (edited and paraphrased): 

 

Short Term 

• From Monday 31^st March, the company will commence an hourly record to measure and monitor the environment at Inverness SC. 
• It will move forward with a periodic H&S session with a specific remit to review the environment. 

 

Immediate on-going facilities actions

• The pump for the under-floor ventilation has been moved further from the windows, with an exhaust installed for improved dispersal. Consequently, the pump for this has been moved further from the window and an exhaust installed on the wall of the building to better disperse anything that comes out. It is not in use currently but can be turned on if anything changes.
• The AC unit has been moved to a more optimal position, with the ceiling fully sealed to the signalling centre. 
• The ply tunnel has been built to take the ventilation intake away from the boiler room door.
• The redundant ducting in the boiler room will be removed and sealed up. 
• The design for the new ventilation system will is estimated to be complete 4^thApril. The current forecast is that the installation would commence during the middle of May. 
• VOC monitoring devices remain in situ. 

 

Longer Term Plan

• Work has been commissioned to explore the feasibility what a new location would look like. The company stresses that this is a very complex piece of work, and this stage there are no guarantees that it will be able to design a solution that meets all the required criteria. Furthermore, there is a delicate balancing between monitoring the current environment and reaching a fixed conclusion that the vapours have been nullified by all of the mitigation measures. Lastly, an interesting point was raised regarding the question of understanding what the preference of the signallers is. The periodic sessions could perhaps be used to explore and expand this dialogue.

 

At its meeting on 27^th May, your National Executive Committee noted and adopted the following report from its health and safety subcommittee:

 

We note the correspondence between Scotland’s Railway and RMT’s lead officer.

 

We welcome the fact that the company is keen to understanding the preference of signallers.

 

The General Secretary is instructed to keep a watching brief on this matter to ensure that all short-term and immediate on-going facilities actions are being progressed and that the proposed longer-term plan is acceptable to our members.

 

Branches and Regional Councils to be advised.

            

            I am acting in line with these instructions. Please bring this circular to the attention of all relevant members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Eddie Dempsey

General Secretary