TheSlash
Established Member
0 - 100mph - 4 feet
100mph - 125mph - 6 feet 6 inches
125mph or over - 10 feet
The above is a the official distances taught on PTS on how far away from the track to stand regards the line speed
Because a driver is told not to do something, it doesn't mean he or she will obey.
When working red zone, the COSS will use a risk minimisation form to calculate the warning time needed for the work party. After calculating the total time needed, they will then convert this time into a distance using a chart.
Now say for example i wanted 30 seconds warning time, i'd need 1/4 mile sighting distance. I start with a site lookout who stands close to the working party. If he can't see the whole 1/4 mile, then i appoint a distant lookout who walks to a position further away from the work party, normally to see round bends etc. You can have a total of 3 lookouts looking in 1 direction, after that, you take measures to reduce the sighting distance, normally by imposing a temporary speed restriction
The point of this? You can't count looking into a tunnel as sighting distance, so people will never be relying on a driver 'blowing up' as part of their warning. You can't enter a tunnel under traffic either, unless its fitted with TOWS, so staff inside the tunnel aren't reliant on the driver either.
So drivers no longer need to blow up for tunnels. The reason they defy this is because they haven't had all the above explained to them, they are simply told "Don't blow up for tunnels"
Jamie, it's quite safe to use a tripod provided it doesn't cause obstruction and isn't positioned in a dangerous position with regard to passing trains
100mph - 125mph - 6 feet 6 inches
125mph or over - 10 feet
The above is a the official distances taught on PTS on how far away from the track to stand regards the line speed
Because a driver is told not to do something, it doesn't mean he or she will obey.
When working red zone, the COSS will use a risk minimisation form to calculate the warning time needed for the work party. After calculating the total time needed, they will then convert this time into a distance using a chart.
Now say for example i wanted 30 seconds warning time, i'd need 1/4 mile sighting distance. I start with a site lookout who stands close to the working party. If he can't see the whole 1/4 mile, then i appoint a distant lookout who walks to a position further away from the work party, normally to see round bends etc. You can have a total of 3 lookouts looking in 1 direction, after that, you take measures to reduce the sighting distance, normally by imposing a temporary speed restriction
The point of this? You can't count looking into a tunnel as sighting distance, so people will never be relying on a driver 'blowing up' as part of their warning. You can't enter a tunnel under traffic either, unless its fitted with TOWS, so staff inside the tunnel aren't reliant on the driver either.
So drivers no longer need to blow up for tunnels. The reason they defy this is because they haven't had all the above explained to them, they are simply told "Don't blow up for tunnels"
Jamie, it's quite safe to use a tripod provided it doesn't cause obstruction and isn't positioned in a dangerous position with regard to passing trains