Unsafe Work Practice – CCTV Faults Waratah A and B Sets

The Locomotive Division has attempted to work with Sydney Trains regarding the ongoing issue of CCTV faults on Waratah A and B rolling stock and their insistence the Guard must work revenue services from the leading car with the Driver.

Sydney Trains has been unacceptably slow in addressing this known safety issue, seemingly unwilling to hold external maintenance providers to account for rolling stock failures. This has resulted in multiple sets being operated for extended periods in revenue service in this degraded condition.

Due to increasing instances of Waratah set CCTV failure, the Locomotive Division believes Sydney Trains have produced an unsafe work environment. Specifically, the practice of operating these sets in this condition, for extended periods, and with multiple sets in service on the network with the same issue, has raised the risk profile of operation in revenue service and created an imminent risk to Train Crew where required to work with the Guard in the leading car.

As such, Members are directed to conduct a personal risk assessment in all instances where a Guard has been asked to work from the leading car. If your risk assessment concludes the Guard working from the leading car poses an imminent safety risk, Members should advise Sydney Trains they will be working the train out of service from the next suitable location.

Once the train is taken out of service, if Members are directed to perform duties that are safe, such as operating another train in proper condition or taking the defective train directly to a maintenance location, these duties should be performed.

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