There are many hazards that have been considered when working on depot. This means that PPE must be used at all times on depot. This may range from just range high visibility clothing to full PPE in the work shed. We will explain the different PPE used on the depot work site.

Staff members must be deemed competent before they are allowed to carry out certain jobs. Competency is gained by passing assessments after being mentored by other competent staff.

Resma Rai

Matthew Waters

Vid Dahiya

- No high visibility, less likely to be seen by moving vehicles such as forklifts

- No ear defenders - damage to hearing when standing directly next to a running engine

- No safety glasses - damage to eyes from chemicals/sparks

- No steel toe cap boots - possibility of heavy items and/or tools falling on to feet

They cover the ears in order to prevent deafness from  the noise produced while working

When somebody is working on a train in the work shed they must 'take possession' of the road that the train is on.

Each member of staff has their own key which allows them to log on to the Depot Protection System. When somebody is logged on it changes the signal to red and raises a derailer - this means that no trains can move on to that road until everybody is logged off.

foot from falling objects. The front part of the shoes is

reinforced to protect the toes and the mid sole plate

of the shoes protect from punctures.

Extractors in the ceiling take away the harmful substances and purify the air for a better work environment.

Fire alarms systems are in constant use on depot. These warn staff when there is a fire so they can move to a fire evacuation point. Fire alarms are situated at regular intervals across the depot. Because Reading Depot is a new building the fire systems have been put in place according to the Building Regulations 2010 "which deal with building controls in new and altered premises".

The Regulations also require that PPE is:

■ properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose;

■ maintained and stored properly;

■ provided with instructions on how to use it safely; 

■ used correctly by employees.

and mid sole penetration protection(from sharp objects).

Hence, if they are not used, the workers may suffer from

injuries in their foot.

- This includes safety critical work, e.g. working on the brake and door systems.

- This ensures that employees possess the required knowledge and skills to be able to work safely and effectively.

- Team leaders allocate work to technicians. The team leaders have access to all of the competency records on one spreadsheet so they are able to see who is competent to do a job and who isn't. This ensures that only competent people carry out certain tasks.

workplace that could affect ears

of the workers and cause hearing

problems. For example, loud noises

produced during changing the engines

of a train might damage the ears and

cause deafness. This hazard can be

prevented from the use of ear defenders

that covers the opening of the ear.