QR driver had previous form in incidents: ATSB

<p>A Queensland Rail driver in charge of a freight train that passed a signal at danger (Signal Passed at Danger – SPAD) in June 2004 had previous involvement in SPAD incidents, an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found.</p> <p>The incident was in June 2004 at Murarrie in Queensland when the driver of train Y245 passed a signal stop by 81.8 metres, about 500 metres short of a conflicting train movement.</p> <p>The driver was the sole crew member and there was no secondary protection devices, such as automatic train protection, in place, the ATSB said.</p> <p>The driver of train died just less than four months after the incident following "a severe coronary episode", investigators found.</p> <p>This, and the driver’s previous involvement in SPAD incidents, where loss of concentration had been cited as a causal factor, led to an examination of the driver’s state of health and the medical standards applicable to QR drivers, ATSB said.</p> <p>"The investigation found that, while it was unlikely that partial incapacitation was a factor in the SPAD at signal MR5, the possibility could not be ruled out," the report stated. </p> <p>"It was also found that the investigations reports into the driver’s previous SPAD incidents focused on the active factors in lieu of latent or systemic factors." </p> <p>Investigators also found that the process of returning this driver to full duties following previous SPAD’s seemingly followed set patterns. </p> <p>"Once returned to full driving duties, little evidence of additional monitoring or supervision was produced during this investigation," ATSB said.</p> <p>The safety bureau made several recommendations, including that QR review its medical standards and place greater emphasis on systemic and latent issues in its internal investigations.</p> <br />