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Northern driver electrocuted testing doors on 319

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Tetchytyke

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http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/train-driver-sent-flying-after-10971346

Liverpool Echo said:
A train driver was “sent flying” after receiving an electric shock while testing the train doors.

The Northern Rail worker was taken to hospital after suffering the shock at the Allerton rail depot last night.

He was performing routine checks on the train, one of Northern’s new fleet of electric trains, as it was stabled in sidings.

A source said: “He was in the carriage and he was performing a duty where all the doors are checked to make sure the train is fit for service.

“He was doing this and when he unlocked the doors he got a huge electric shock.

“He was sent flying back. The supervisor called the ambulance.

“He was taken to the Royal - he is doing okay but he is very lucky.

“The two train units have been stood down. There will be an enquiry looking at what happened.”

The ECHO understands that the incident took place late on Monday night. The driver has been discharged from the Royal.

Northern Rail said the worker suffered a “low voltage shock”.

A spokesman said: “He was taken to hospital as a precaution and released shortly after.”

The Office of Road and Rail is investigating.

A spokesman confirmed it had been notified and that the facts of what happened “are still being established”.

I'm glad to see the driver is back at home.

It seems a bit odd though. Low voltage shocks don't send you flying, but then "sources" do love their hyperbole. What sort of check would cause this type of incident?
 
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pemma

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Liverpool Echo said:
A train driver was “sent flying” after receiving an electric shock while testing the train doors.

The Northern Rail worker was taken to hospital after suffering the shock at the Allerton rail depot last night.

He was performing routine checks on the train, one of Northern’s new fleet of electric trains, as it was stabled in sidings.

A source said: “He was in the carriage and he was performing a duty where all the doors are checked to make sure the train is fit for service.

“He was doing this and when he unlocked the doors he got a huge electric shock.

“He was sent flying back. The supervisor called the ambulance.

“He was taken to the Royal - he is doing okay but he is very lucky.

“The two train units have been stood down. There will be an enquiry looking at what happened.”

The ECHO understands that the incident took place late on Monday night. The driver has been discharged from the Royal.

Northern Rail said the worker suffered a “low voltage shock”.

A spokesman said: “He was taken to hospital as a precaution and released shortly after.”

The Office of Road and Rail is investigating.

A spokesman confirmed it had been notified and that the facts of what happened “are still being established”.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/train-driver-sent-flying-after-10971346

Hopefully the driver is OK and it doesn't happen to anyone else.
 
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Domh245

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Hmm, when they say unlocked the doors, would that be physically unlocking doors that had been locked with a key, or doing a door release via a button?
 

coppercapped

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I'm glad to see the driver is back at home.

It seems a bit odd though. Low voltage shocks don't send you flying, but then "sources" do love their hyperbole. What sort of check would cause this type of incident?

Low voltage can make you jump! Many years ago I suffered an electric shock after touching a wet nylon pipe which had touched an (exposed) contact of a micro-switch. It was 230v ac and I can speak from experience - it does send you flying!

It's the volts that jolts, it's the mils* that kills!

(* milliamperes)
 

physics34

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im pretty sure the power to the doors is only 110v or something similar....
 

WCMLaddict

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im pretty sure the power to the doors is only 110v or something similar....

It wasn't the door power supply that caused the shock.

Have there been any similar instances ever reported in the southern areas where the Class 319 units run?

No. Door controls have been modified for NR use. You can possibly make your own conclusions...
Gaffer tape can't fix everything...
 

zn1

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only so much you can do to the door switch control on a 319,
one would suspect a dodgy earth has left something live...no selective door ops on a 319 so adapting for Northern rail sounds a bit weird one control set at rear of seats in cabs is all they should have...hope the conductor is ok
 

headshot119

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only so much you can do to the door switch control on a 319,
one would suspect a dodgy earth has left something live...no selective door ops on a 319 so adapting for Northern rail sounds a bit weird one control set at rear of seats in cabs is all they should have...hope the conductor is ok

They have been fitted with intermediate door controls so the guard is able to do revenue duties more easily.
 

zn1

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that mod has been around for years on the 319-322 fleet, one of the modifivation i never actually cared for, i always felt the guard should always use the nearest cab for door control, and then carry on revenue protection from there...hey what do i know
 

AM9

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Unless it's AC for which the volts can interfere with the beating of the heart.

No, it's not 'the volts' that interfere with the heart's rhythm, it's the current flowing through the heart muscles or associated nerves that cause the problem.
You could be sitting at a potential of 25kV with no current flowing through your body. Conversely, you could be electrocuted (to death for the avoidance of confusion) if a conductor at a potential of 12vac touched an open wound and your body was connected by a conductive solution to the opposite conductor, (think saline solution or even sweat).
Apart from the potential* worry of every hair in your body maybe standing on end, the actual voltage, ac or DC won't make any difference to your organs.

* Apologies for the pun.
 

Bevan Price

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On RTT I have noticed once or twice that trains (on 319 diagrams) had been cancelled due to "a problem with the doors."
 

Beatbox00

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I believe the person got a 110v Shock which resulted in him falling and bang his head. The person was then taken to hospital.
 

pemma

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hope the conductor is ok

The conductor will be fine as he/she never boarded the train. It was the driver who suffered the electric shock on checking the train prior to it being taken out from the depot and apparently that 319 and another have been kept out of service since due to the incident.
 
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OpsWeb

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I suspect the control voltage on most classes is 110v, however as others have said it is not the voltages that will kill you! The amps will!

Aren't railway safety boots supposed to be electrically insulated to prevent you "earthing" yourself if you did receive an electric shock? But obviously if the victim was holding onto anything else earthed (such as the train), then he/she could still have been shocked.
 

notlob.divad

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Hope the worker is OK I've had a couple of low voltage belts in my time, thankfully nothing serious but it does make you jump back. I think standard practice now is hospital for any AC Electric Shock, get them on a ECG machine and check them out and monitor them.

There have been several door related issues on the 'new ' trains, mainly not opening/shutting. This is obviously another level of seriousness I assume they will investigate the unit and find the fault. Is there any risk of the entire fleet being quarantined? Just starting to get used to the things gliding past the end of my street. Would rather not go back to the screech of the pacer wheels thank you very much.
 

hairyhandedfool

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only so much you can do to the door switch control on a 319,
one would suspect a dodgy earth has left something live...no selective door ops on a 319 so adapting for Northern rail sounds a bit weird one control set at rear of seats in cabs is all they should have...

Additional controls have been put in every coach for the conductors to use. Unlike when the 319s were built, the desk controls now require a master key to operate, the bulkhead switchs were removed a while ago.

....i always felt the guard should always use the nearest cab for door control, and then carry on revenue protection from there...hey what do i know

Guard can't go in the drivers cab on Northern, so if revenue duties took them to the front coach and the train arrived at a station, it's a long way back to the rear cab....

On RTT I have noticed once or twice that trains (on 319 diagrams) had been cancelled due to "a problem with the doors."

Sometimes public door controls fail to operate, or doors jam open or closed, not all faults are related. If certain doors fail to open the unit cannot be allowed in service as the individual coaches cannot be locked out.

What on earth are you doing to our old trains up there?

From what I've seen, screwing them up good and proper.
 

hairyhandedfool

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According to a staff brief: The driver was not operating a door control, they were de-isolating the "door header air supply". The driver was taken to hospital as a precaution. The unit has been quarantined and investigations are ongoing.
 

Skie

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The conductor will be fine as he/she never boarded the train. It was the driver who suffered the electric shock on checking the train prior to it being taken out from the depot and apparently that 319 and another have been kept out of service since due to the incident.

For a very brief period he was a conductor.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Additional controls have been put in every coach for the conductors to use. Unlike when the 319s were built, the desk controls now require a master key to operate, the bulkhead switchs were removed a while ago.


Why was this work not carried out, prior to the Class 319 units being sent to the Northern Rail franchise, as surely any such changes should have been made at the time of pre-delivery refurbishment/refreshment?
 

Emblematic

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Why was this work not carried out, prior to the Class 319 units being sent to the Northern Rail franchise, as surely any such changes should have been made at the time of pre-delivery refurbishment/refreshment?

I'm not sure what you're asking. These changes would have been made during the 'Northern Electrics' refurbishment, unless anyone knows differently.
 

hairyhandedfool

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AIUI, the master key/desk modification was done by FCC (as they are DOO). The conductors controls in each coach were done for Northern (as they are not DOO) before the units entered service in the north.
 

IanXC

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I have deleted a number of posts on this thread discussing the use of the word 'Electrocuted'. These are clearly adding nothing to this thread which is discussing a specific incident now under investigation.

If anyone does wish to discuss the use of the word 'Electrocuted' please create a new thread to do so.

Finally there have been a number of comments on the thread around this, can I gently remind members that the report function should be used to bring such concerns go the attention of the forum staff.

Thanks
 
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