Re: SAW/ASW - was Re: Computer Question - DTC

["Rod" <comtrain@mpx.com.au>]

>
> As far as cancelling ASW goes in the interim is not bizzarre at all.
> In this accident ,the safeworking system (ASW) was directly involved in
> failing to prevent it .

Rubbish!  ASW was altered or modified to allow an unsafe proceedure to be
used!
It is my belief that ASW does not allow for a key of any sport to be left in
a telephone box!
No one should have had the authority to allow this to happen! Safe working
Officers are a thing of the past, and cost cutting will recieve some of the
blame too.

> Until an inquiry is held and ASW is cleared of any failure,continuing to
use
> it is effectively pre-empting the outcome of any inquiry, ie the operators
of
> the safeworking system are effectively saying that theres nothing wrong
with
> it. (Ie its safe).

Ok carry it a little further, lets stop all trains in NSW and Victoria, the
human element is just too bloody dangerous!
And wghilst you are at it ....no more cars till we work out how to make them
safe too!


>
> This type of attitude was also sadly in evidence with the Glenbrook
> accident with the CEO of SRA indicating on the day of the accident that
the
> safeworking system had performed perfectly.
>
> With more modern ? safeworking systems like ATC and CTC , we have pilot
staffs
> when the safeworking system fails or is cancelled.

More modern??? um I think they being using CTC / ATC for 50 years.
And it did not save the Southern Aurora or countless trains in the States!

Victorian Railways Safeworking has always concentrated on little harmless
things, and our esteemed SWO's have an unfortunate knack of letting the big
things pass unnoticed.
The prime assumption made is that all Drivers are Dick-heads and will do
anything in their power to crash their trains. So the rules are built around
people who no longer exist,  so called qualified persons, riding with the
Driver holding so and so, or the Driver walking forward to inspect points,
etc etc
Every suggestion that has come from the Drivers Grades, to the best of my
knowledge is dismissed, without any thought, How the hell would he know?
So the decisions are all made by white collars in a City building somewhere,
half brain dead with hours of little activity in front of a monitor.
The days of  using experience to develop a system are long gone, just as the
days of promoting yourself up through the ranks are also. Instead they
employ wet behind the ears graduates, [from the uni's that really do nothing
more than keep people out of the work place a little longer, and make
unemployment figures a little better!] Just before this Uni thing started,
we had the goats and the Cathlolics fighting it out! For many years
depending on who was in control you needed to be a member of one or the
other to get promotion or to have a say in how things were run.
Prior to Kennett and Howard we also had a very strong Union that was able to
stand up to the bastards, and I would think, many smashes were prevented by
the old AFULE, refusing point blank to accept any changes or unsafe
additions to our work place
Rod

> MD
>