1. Workforce Development
Program
AUSTRALIAN TRACK
SAFETY AWARENESS
Tom Short – CRC Research Fellow
Michele Simons – Project Leader
Tania Davies – CRC Program Chair
Established and Supported under Australia’s
Cooperative Research Centres Programme

2. Workforce Development
‘To contribute to the RSCC focus
on improving relevance and
national consistency of
education and training across
the industry’
EVALUATE RAIL SAFETY
INDUCTION COURSES
P4.105

3. Project P4.105
One Project – Two Outcomes
1. Evaluation methodology – to
assist in further development
of nationally consistent
approaches to training
2. A national curriculum for Track
Safety Awareness

4. Scoping Study on developing
national approaches to training
What we learned:
 Diverse approach to the same topic
 Need for a unified benchmark
 Potential for savings
 Part of managing risk
 Build identity and recognition
 Capture emerging issues
 Provision for maintenance and
improvement

5. Industry research
 Documents from six rail companies
 Audit of three main courses
 Interviews in five organisations
RISI National TSA
Rail & Safety Environmental Awareness
Rail Safety Rail Corridor
Awareness Induction
Train Track Safety Awareness

6. TSA – views across the industry
 Viewed as relevant
 Radical changes were not desired
 Too technical for actual need
 A national course was needed to
map the common elements
 Not intended to replace company
induction
 Need to recognise prior learning

7. TSA – mixed approach to training
 Experiential learning was favoured
 Classroom option was used when
space was limited for practical
 Video resources aided learning
 A good trainer was imperative
 On-line training had restrictions
Solution: a range of delivery options
to suit the situation

8. Proposed course content
1. Introduction
2. Legal requirements
3. Your ATS Card
4. Supervision and the role of Protection Officers
5. Other significant personnel
6. Drugs, Alcohol and Fatigue
7. Train speed and braking distance
8. Basic rail corridor safety knowledge
9. Types of lines
10. Safety aspects of specific features
11. Signals
12. Personal protective equipment
13. Communications
14. Australian Standard Safety Procedure
15. Briefings and safety sheets
16. Electrical safety

9. Track safety assurance test
 Section 1- Accreditation
 Section 2- Drugs, Alcohol and fatigue
 Section 3 - Track knowledge
 Section 4 - Train knowledge
 Section 5 - Signal knowledge
 Section 6 - Station knowledge
 Section 7 - Sidings and Yards
 Section 8 - The Protection Officer
 Section 9 - Clothing and equipment
 Section 10 - General safety
 Section 11 - Electricity

10. Assessment and evaluation
framework
1. Initial Test - Assessment of learning
immediately after TSA course
 Acquisition of knowledge
2. Participant feedback - Evaluation of participant
satisfaction with training
 View of participants
3. Assurance test - To assess deterioration of TSA
knowledge
 Post-test in selected circumstances

11. Assurance across the industry
 Test to track previous experience
 Recertification tool
 At test at the beginning of PO
course
 Spot test by auditors
 A test for TSA-only staff

12. Next Steps
 Adopt a NATIONAL approach
 New course material developed and
tested with industry Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs)
 Secure commitment to the TSA
training course and assessment
 Secure support for a program
maintenance advisory group

13. THANK YOU - QUESTIONS
Established and Supported under Australia’s
Cooperative Research Centres Programme