Manx Electric Railway Accidents & Injuries

Summary

The request sought data on Manx Electric Railway accidents, injuries, employee concerns, and a specific 2013 incident. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that there were no deaths, 111 personal injury accidents, and 1,136 reported near misses or hazards, while confirming investigations and mitigation measures were implemented.

Key Facts

• No deaths to persons or animals have been recorded on the Manx Electric Railway since January 2013.
• There were 111 reported personal injury accidents between January 2013 and August 2022.
• Staff reported a total of 1,136 near misses, accidents, or hazards during the requested period.
• Investigations are conducted on all personal injury incidents, with control measures introduced as necessary.
• A specific incident involving an electric shock on a tram was investigated, reported to the HSI, and resulted in wiring updates.

Data Disclosed

• 1 January 2013
• August 2022
• 111
• 1136
• 30 May 2013
• Tram 9

Original Request

Dear Sir, With regard to the Manx Electric Railway, please may I be supplied with the total number of reported and recorded accidents that caused injury, or death to a person, or animal between 1 January 2013 to current. Please may these two figures be separated regardless of whether they are the same. Please may you also supply whether any investigation or work to mitigate further incidents was carried out as a result of any of the incidents - please list details after each investigation if there are multiple. Please may you supply whether or not employees of the Manx Electric Railway raised concerns at any point from the date 1 January 2013 to current, and any outcome if applicable. Please may you factor any potential whistleblowing, whether internally or externally into this. Please may you also supply me with details of a particular incident occurring on 30 May 2013 with Tram 9 as it travelled towards Ramsey and whether any investigation was carried out as a result. Thanks.

Data Tables (4)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 2601781 26 September 2022

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 26 August 2022 and which states:

"Dear Sir, With regard to the Manx Electric Railway, please may I be supplied with the total number of reported and recorded accidents that caused injury, or death to a person, or animal between 1 January 2013 to current. Please may these two figures be separated regardless of whether they are the same. Please may you also supply whether any investigation or work to mitigate further incidents was carried out as a result of any of the incidents - please list details after each investigation if there are multiple. Please may you supply whether or not employees of the Manx Electric Railway raised concerns at any point from the date 1 January 2013 to current, and any outcome if applicable. Please may you factor any potential whistleblowing, whether internally or externally into this. Please may you also supply me with details of a particular incident occurring on 30 May 2013 with Tram 9 as it travelled towards Ramsey and whether any investigation was carried out as a result. Thanks."

Our response to your request is as follows: Please may these two figures be separated regardless of whether they are the same. No deaths to persons or animal have been recorded. All accidents reported are recorded whether major injury or minor first aid only incidents

Number of personal injury accidents of any form reported from Jan 2013-Aug 2022 = 111 Please may you also supply whether any investigation or work to mitigate further incidents was carried out as a result of any of the incidents - please list details after each investigation if there are multiple. Investigations are undertaken on all incidents of personal injury brought to the attention of the Manx Electric Railways management. In response to which control measures are introduced if required, necessary or applicable. A cross section of personal injury incidents and control measures introduced or existing: • Passengers on trams grazing shins whilst embarking/disembarking from trams. Step introduced for passengers to use in order to alleviate this issue. Warned to take care by tram staff whilst boarding/alighting trams • Staff cutting hands and other body parts causing minor First Aid injuries • Staff Manual Handling injuries. All relevant staff receive Manual Handling Training with manual handling mechanical aids issued if applicable. • Slip or trips on track due to uneven ballast surfaces. Suitable footwear is supplied, staff and contractors are instructed the correct way of walking on track during their initial training. • Electric shock received from tram. Full investigation undertaken. Matter reported to the HSI. Wiring updates and alterations were made to the tram before it went back into service. • Slips, trip and falls off track. Cause of incident removed where possible i.e. hazard removed, oil cleared up etc. Please may you supply whether or not employees of the Manx Electric Railway raised concerns at any point from the date 1 January 2013 to current, and any outcome if applicable. Please may you factor any potential whistleblowing, whether internally or externally into this. The department has a comprehensive and effective Hazard Reporting scheme open to all its employees to ensure we have an accurate record of incidents and near misses. This scheme is available for all staff to bring to the attention of management any accidents, near misses or hazards that they might encounter whilst working on the Manx Electrical Railway. There have been a total of 1136 near misses, accidents or hazards reported, by members of staff, on the Manx Electric Railways during the period requested. The bare statistics can paint a misleading picture if taken out of context. The Department are keen to encourage high numbers of near miss reports to ensure that we can highlight where we need to consider items such as operating procedures before there is a larger problem. A low level of reports would suggest a lack of safety awareness among staff. Near-miss reporting is part of the culture in the Department. The department is actively encouraging more reporting in other areas as each report is a free warning of an issue that can be fixed before someone is hurt. Of course, many are not things that would ever result in injury, but they all help us learn. We do not have access to any information on whistleblowing reports.

Please may you also supply me with details of a particular incident occurring on 30 May 2013 with Tram 9 as it travelled towards Ramsey and whether any investigation was carried out as a result. The incident involving tram No 9 May 2013 involved the conductor of the tram receiving an electric shock from the tram speed controller which resulted in an ambulance being called with the conductor attending hospital. A full investigation was undertaken, the local Health and Safety Inspectorate were also informed of the incident.
Please quote the reference number 2601781 in any future communications.

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Yours sincerely

FOI Response Team