Reading Railway Station

Industry

Rail

Expertises

Working at Height,

Rope Access

Safety Circle steps used in this project

Installation Solutions,

Training & Education

Contractors and staff were given extra peace of mind about safety after Eurosafe supplied a comprehensive fall protection solution to Reading railway station.

The building

Reading railway station is a major transport hub in Reading, England. It is on the northern edge of the town centre, near the main retail and commercial areas and the River Thames. It is the ninth-busiest station in the UK outside London, with over 3.8 million passengers changing trains at the station annually. With the government hoping to improve traffic flow at the station, the redevelopment was planned. This included 5 new platforms, a new footbridge, a new street crossing, a fly over and a new section of track.

The requirement

Working alongside the contractor Lakesmere, Eurosafe were asked to design, supply and install the fall protection and access equipment to enable workers to carry out the roofing requirements and redevelopment of the station.

Dan Capper and the team at Eurosafe came up with an access strategy to cover all fall hazards, which included gaps between the pre-made cassettes on the roof. Due to the method of the Cassette installation, it was not possible to install collective protection such as a guardrail so alternative fall protection was required. Another key requirement was to provide safe access for contractors to build a passenger walkway above the platforms. The walkway was due to be built whilst the station was still fully operational.

This involved ensuring that the solution that Eurosafe provide takes into account the complex planning and scheduling of the installation to minimise disruption to passengers and the project.

The solution

Due to the method of cassette installation, it was not possible to install a guardrail so therefore Eurosafe installed horizontal Kalsafe Latchways mansafe systems on the near flat top and bottom roofs.

Eurosafe rope access team installed fall protection netting to the two main voids to enhance the safety of workers on site. They also completed the installation of an abseil system at the head of the slope, so that the team could safely descend the slope and install a Latchways Bridge Latch system.

To ensure that the roof was safe for access after the redevelopment, the installation of permanent fall protection and access systems was completed, which will be used by staff and contractors for the future inspection, maintenance and cleaning of the roof lights. Included in the access strategy, Eurosafe ensured that all workers would receive the correct training in the safe use of the systems provided, which included response training in emergency and evacuation situations.

This was an important contract, which ensured that personnel working on the refurbishment of the station were offered maximum protection from falls. We are pleased to ensure that the redevelopment was completed safely and that the fall protection systems would further enhance safety for those carrying out maintenance work in the future. The Training of site staff was essential to ensure that everyone working on site is competent and therefore fully protected. Training reduces the risk of a fall occurring and ensures that those who will be working at height are aware how to avoid falling and how to minimise injury or risks should anyone fall.

~ John Boyle - Director @ Eurosafe

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