During degraded operations (such as when providing verbal authority for a train to pass a signal at danger), it may not be appropriate to rely on the protection normally offered by the interlocking. It is therefore important that signallers use all available information, including points indicators, to ensure that a route is correctly set before giving permission for a train to pass over it.
It is important that signaller competence management systems impart and maintain required levels of knowledge and familiarity for signallers to operate all signalling locations for which they are authorised, especially where equipment may not operate in ways that signallers would normally expect.
When short-notice changes to working patterns are necessary to cover staff shortages, it is important that the risk of fatigue is managed appropriately. In accordance with Network Rail’s standard on fatigue risk management, roster amendments should be made to minimise the build-up of fatigue and, where resource shortages are likely to be prolonged, the actual hours worked should be reviewed and the roster amended. The amendments should be risk assessed, and control measures put in place to manage identified fatigue risks.