2022 – April – Moore – Level Crossings – Controlling the Hazards

Trevor Moore
B.Eng., MBA Eng. Mgt., Hon FIRSE, F Eng. Aust.
JMDR
Level crossings encompass many hazards including the uncontrolled hazards associated with motor vehicles and pedestrians. This paper examines a variety of hazards impacting on level crossing safety. There are also references to incident reports which are a good source for hazards and their consequences.
The paper also examines mitigation controls and how they can be applied throughout the system life cycle for the level crossing. The paper examines how the controls are covered by signalling principles and standards. The controls are examined against the related incident hazards for their effectiveness.
The introduction of new technology in signalling has provided the opportunity to address existing hazards in performance effective and cost effective ways. Where new technology introduces new hazards or changes the impact of existing hazards, this needs to be evaluated.