Hazards Associated with Road and Rail Transportation
by
MR. OLUWOLE SALAKO
(Business Process Re-engineering Consultant) Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Lagos.
presented at RISAN’s 2012 Conference held at Sheraton Lagos Hotel on Thursday 1st November 2012
Transportation is the business of conveying people, goods, etc from one location to another. Road transportation is a means of conveyance of people and goods with vehicles which run on prepared surfaces. In contrast, rail transport is conveyance of people and goods by way of directionally guided vehicles which run on tracks.
Road and rail transportation is fraught with various types of hazard, i.e. source(s) of unavoidable danger, peril, risk or difficulty. Due to this multiplicity of factors, accidents or collisions do occur in the course of transportation, usually with significant cost implications.
It is common knowledge that the traffic situations in most of our urban areas are chaotic. This is as a result of heavy dependence on road transport where vehicles of all shapes and sizes (cars, trucks, buses, tankers, trailers) compete for passage. The resultant gridlock and confusion lead to frayed nerves, loss of manhours and accidents with consequential damage to properties and loss of lives. Rail transport in Nigeria is skeletal, epileptic and inefficient. In other climes, rail transportation far supersedes road transportation both for mass transit and the haulage of goods.
An attempt will be made during this presentation to identify and evaluate some sources and nature of hazards associated with road and rail transportation. Measures to mitigate such hazards will also be suggested.
Main Sources of Hazard and Mitigation Measures
1. The Weather
Sources of Hazard
• Visibility – Rain, fog/haze, smoke, windstorm
• Night Driving
Mitigation Measures
• No night travel (Drive during the day)
• Use fog lights
• Monitor weather conditions (Get weather reports)
The weather cannot be controlled; drivers should exercise good judgment and take appropriate decisions to control hazards.
2. Road Condition
Sources of Hazard
• Wetness (Rain, spillage of fuel, oil, etc.)
• Surface design/structure (Potholes, depressions, undulation)
• Lack of Signage (Curve warning, advisory speed signs, etc.)
• Extraneous Objects (Other vehicles, pedestrians, animals, barriers)
Mitigation Measures
• Don’t drive in the rain
• Watch out for spillage on the road
• Avoid heavy traffic roads/highways
• 3. State of the Vehicle
• Sources of Hazard
• Suspension
• Tyres
• Controls – Brakes, lights, horns, mirrors, etc.
• Mitigation Measures
• Install good tyres, suspension, and functional controls
• Effective maintenance 4. The Driver
• Transportation is governed largely by driving, a skill-based, rule-governed expressive activity which man has performed for centuries to convey people and materials from one location to another with the aid of motorized vehicles by road or rail. It is the controlled operation of a land vehicle such as a car, truck, bus or train.
• Sources of Hazard
• Aggressive driving
• Road rage
• Excessive speeding
• Tailgating
• Erratic lane-changes
• Excessive acceleration & braking
• Unsafe overtaking
• Intentional red-light running
• Failure to give right-of-way
• Railway-crossing violations
• Distractions (texting/phone calls, side attractions)
• Physical/mental condition (drunkenness, drowsiness, slow response/reaction times, impaired vision, loss of hearing)
• Mitigation Measures
• Alertness/vigilance
• Good Physical and mental Health
• Good Knowledge of road traffic signs, rules and regulations
• Good judgment
• Respect for other road users
• Speed control – Adherence to posted speed limits
• Training and Re-training
• Sources of Harzard
• Derailment (Jumping the track)
• Collision ( with another train or road vehicle at level crossings)
• Mitigation Measures
• Strict Operating Rules
• Railway signaling
• Gates at crossings
• Effective use of train whistles, bells/horns
• Effective monitoring and maintenance of tracks
• Strict adherence to safety rules
• Conclusion
• Transportation business plays a pivotal role in the nation’s economy. Several factors, human, environmental, physical and natural come into play during the transportation process. These factors unavoidably carry varying degrees of hazard or risk, which impinge on the process. These hazards manifest in accidents or collisions with consequential injuries to the driver, other occupants of the vehicle, and, in most cases, third parties involved in the collision. Damages may also occur to the vehicle driven or the vehicle of the third party or the goods being conveyed. Such accidents may even lead to outright loss of live(s).
• Injuries or damages arising from accidents induced by hazards associated with road and rail transportation have cost implications. Such injuries and resultant costs can be minimized if the risks associated with transportation operations are managed effectively. Diligent and exhaustive identification and analysis of such hazards are required for the development of structured, pragmatic, robust and cost-efficient approaches to mitigate risks associated with road and rail transportation.
• Proper design/construction of roads and railways coupled with adoption of efficient operating rules, best practices and effective maintenance are required to minimize hazards arising from road and rail transportation.
• THANK YOU
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