Rail safety specialist, Zonegreen, has returned to a depot with whom it has a longstanding relationship to expand the protection offered to those working there.
The Sheffield-based firm has added its Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) to the recently extended North Shed at Derby’s Etches Park, after it was initially installed in 2010.
Working with contractor, Kier Transportation, Zonegreen has equipped a 170-metre single ended road with DPPS, as part of major upgrades to the East Midlands Railway (EMR) depot, to cater for a new fleet of Hitachi Aurora trains. This adds to the six roads and wheel lathe that have been safeguarded by the system since Etches Park opened 13 years ago.
DPPS provides physical protection for those working on site by using powered derailers to prevent unauthorised vehicle movement and create safe zones in which to work. They log onto road end panels using personalised RFID tags to record their location and activate the protection, whilst beacons and klaxons are fitted to provide audible and visual warnings of incoming/outgoing trains.
Zonegreen’s work at Etches Park has included installing a crane interlock to prevent vehicle movement being initiated if the crane is not in its safe parking area. The firm’s Depot Manager SCADA suite of software has also been implemented to provide a graphical overview of the entire depot protection system and a permanent log of activity.
Christian Fletcher, Zonegreen’s head of engineering, said: “It has been a pleasure to return to Etches Park to extend the scope of DPPS and integrate our hugely valuable Depot Manager software. In the 13 years since the dynamic system was first installed, it has proved reliable and has adapted to the depot’s changing needs. The fact EMR has chosen to continue to work with us on this project, demonstrates their faith in our service and technology.”
