6.2 Trackside Safety Roles and How to Recognise Them
Key Takeaways
A COSS wears an armlet on the left arm or a badge on the upper chest with COSS in white letters on a blue background (Handbook 7).
The person in charge makes sure the work is done properly, confirms that a COSS is appointed and a suitable safe system set up, and can also act as the COSS if COSS competent.
Where two or more COSSs or IWAs share a line blockage, a protection controller is appointed, wearing PC in green letters on a white background (Handbook 8).
An engineering supervisor wears ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR in blue letters on a yellow background (Handbook 12); lookouts wear white with red letters and site wardens white with blue letters (Handbook 3).
The Safe Work Leader competence is obsolete, and RSSB has removed references to it from the Rule Book handbooks.
6.2 Trackside Safety Roles and How to Recognise Them
On or near the line you will meet several safety-critical roles. You must know who is responsible for your safety, what they do, and how to recognise them. Each role has its own Rule Book handbook, and each wears a distinctive armlet on the left arm or a badge on the upper chest, worn only while carrying out that duty.
The Controller of Site Safety (COSS)
The COSS is required when work is to take place on or near the line. The COSS sets up the safe system of work so that you can work safely and are not put in harm's way by the work or by trains. The duties are in Rule Book Handbook 7 (General duties of a controller of site safety).
- Identification: a COSS armlet on the left arm or a COSS badge on the upper chest, with COSS in white letters on a blue background (HB7). The armlet must not be worn at any other time.
- Competence: the COSS must carry a valid COSS certificate of competence.
- Presence: the PTS handbook says the COSS must be with the work group from when you access the infrastructure, while working, until you leave the infrastructure. HB1 says that if you are with another person on or near the line, a COSS must be present and stay with you.
- Duties include: checking each person's Sentinel record, briefing the safe system of work, checking that site wardens and lookouts are competent and wearing their armlets, positioning lookouts so the required warning time is available, and managing visitors with a visitor permit.
The Person in Charge
While the COSS deals with the safety of the work group, the person in charge makes sure the work itself is carried out properly, within the relevant rules and to the required standards (PTS handbook section 5.2).
- The person in charge confirms that a COSS is appointed and that a suitable safe system has been set up before allowing work to start, which is particularly important if the work might affect the safety of the group.
- The person in charge can also act as the COSS, and must be COSS competent to do so. Under NR/L2/OHS/019 the person in charge holds COSS competence (or IWA when working alone), is accountable for the safety of the group, has the final decision on whether a safe work pack is acceptable, and must not act as a site warden or lookout.
The Individual Working Alone (IWA)
An IWA (Rule Book Handbook 6) is competent to work alone on or near the line, setting up and carrying out a safe system of work for their own safety. An IWA works alone; if another person is with them, a COSS is needed for the group. HB1 reminds you that you must never work alone unless you are a COSS or an IWA.
The Protection Controller (PC)
If two or more COSSs or IWAs need a line blockage at the same place and time, Rule Book Handbook 8 says a protection controller (PC) must be appointed to take overall control of the shared line blockage.
- Identification: an armlet on the left arm or a badge on the upper body with PC in green letters on a white background.
- The PC carries out the COSS instructions in HB8 for taking the line blockage, holds the NR3180 line blockage form and explains the details to each COSS or IWA sharing the protection; each COSS or IWA normally signs the NR3180.
- The PC must not give up the line blockage until each COSS or IWA has confirmed they no longer need it. If a COSS hands over to another COSS, the new COSS gives their name to the PC.
Possession Roles: PICOP and Engineering Supervisor
When work takes place inside an engineering possession:
- the person in charge of the possession (PICOP) (Rule Book Handbook 11) takes and manages the possession and its protection;
- an engineering supervisor (ES) (Rule Book Handbook 12) manages a worksite within the possession, marks its limits with worksite marker boards, controls the movement of trains and on-track plant within it, and before work starts gives each COSS and IWA a work-site briefing, agrees their site limits and safe system of work, and gives them an authority number. The ES wears an armlet or badge with ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR in blue letters on a yellow background.
- A machine controller (MC) has overall responsibility for the safe operation of on-track plant and is identified by MACHINE CONTROLLER or MC in black letters on a white background; an MC who is also a crane controller wears CRANE CONTROLLER or CC in black on white.
Site Wardens and Lookouts
Rule Book Handbook 3 covers both roles. Both must carry a valid lookout certificate of competence.
| Site warden | Lookout | |
|---|---|---|
| Armlet or badge | White with SITE WARDEN in blue letters | White with LOOKOUT in red letters |
| Watches | The group, to keep everyone inside the safe area | For approaching trains |
| Warning | Shouts "get back", then a series of short sharp blasts if needed | Whistle, horn or touch (and shouting if necessary); urgent warning is a series of short sharp blasts |
| Must not | Take part in the work, carry out other duties unless also the COSS, or be distracted | Take part in the work, carry out any other duties, or be distracted |
Both must switch off their mobile phones while on duty, stay at their post until the COSS tells them they are no longer needed or they are relieved, and tell the COSS immediately if they can no longer give an adequate warning.
What Happened to the Safe Work Leader?
Network Rail introduced the Safe Work Leader (SWL) competence in the 2010s to combine site safety and task leadership. RSSB has since withdrawn the SWL handbooks (HB20 and HB21) and removed references to "the obsolete competency of Safe Work Leader" from the handbooks, including HB1 Issue 8 and HB16 and HB17 Issue 6. You may still see SWL in older documents and question banks, but on today's railway the COSS and the person in charge carry those duties.
| Role | Handbook | Armlet or badge |
|---|---|---|
| COSS | HB7 | COSS, white letters on blue |
| IWA | HB6 | Works alone; no group to protect |
| Protection controller | HB8 | PC, green letters on white |
| PICOP | HB11 | Manages the possession |
| Engineering supervisor | HB12 | ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR, blue letters on yellow |
| Machine controller | HB12 / HB15 | MACHINE CONTROLLER or MC, black letters on white |
| Site warden | HB3 | SITE WARDEN, blue letters on white |
| Lookout | HB3 | LOOKOUT, red letters on white |
Two COSSs and an IWA all need a line blockage at the same place and time. Which role must be appointed to take overall control of the shared blockage?
Engineering supervisor (ES)
Person in charge of the possession (PICOP)
Site warden
Protection controller (PC)
How is a COSS identified, and how long must the COSS stay with the work group?
A blue armlet or badge with COSS in white letters; the COSS stays with the group from when it accesses the infrastructure until it leaves
A silver armlet with dark blue letters; the most senior worker takes over whenever the COSS leaves
A white armlet with red letters; the group may carry on working if a lookout is present
A yellow armlet with black letters; the COSS may supervise remotely by mobile phone
Under Rule Book Handbook 3, which rule applies to a lookout?
The lookout may help with light measuring tasks while facing the trains
The lookout must not take part in the actual work, carry out any other duties or allow themselves to be distracted
The lookout may leave their post without telling anyone if visibility becomes poor
The lookout wears a blue armlet with red letters and takes line blockages from the signaller
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