Railway Infrastructure Workers - Unprotected Working/Red Zone

Our Ref: HSR/2/1

Head Office Circular: NP/123/19

5th July 2019

The Secretary ALL BRANCHES ALL REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague

RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE WORKERS - UNPROTECTED WORKING/RED ZONE

Further to the recent Circular No 122, Port Talbot, I am writing to all infrastructure workers to ensure we are clear over the right of workers to raise concerns should they feel that the work practice is dangerous or that the safe system of work is not robust and adequate enough.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 state that employers must have procedures to follow “in the event of serious and imminent danger”. These procedures are frequently called ‘the worksafe procedure’. Network Rail members will recall that your union under the 2b/c T & C agreement, staff are protected (Page 1) ‘ No Fear of sanctions for invoking the worksafe procedure’.

We demand an end to unprotected/red zone working, as the continued roll call of tragedy and near misses to trackworkers is still ongoing, despite the previous submissions from your union with Network Rail, their contractors and supply chain. We again call on the rail regulator to banish the practice of railway workers being placed infront of railway rolling-stock whilst they are getting on with their jobs at the sharp end, on and about the Track.

Please use this link to the RMT website to enable access to the RMT publication Serious and Imminent Danger; http://bit.ly/2JozOfa

Yours sincerely  

Mick Cash

General Secretary