Government agencies jointly support Airport Safety Week.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia are working together in support of Airport Safety Week 2020, which runs across 19–23 October.

A collaboration between the Australian Airports Association (AAA) and the NZ Airports Association (NZ Airports), Airport Safety Week allows the aviation safety regulator, the independent transport safety investigator, and the air navigation service provider to amplify several areas of safety to influence airport operators and users.

While supporting this year’s theme which centres on maintaining airport safety and wellness through the COVID-19 pandemic and human factors in airport safety, the three agencies will also be highlighting the use of stop bars, runway incursion incidents, the importance of carrying out effective FOD inspections, and developing an effective Safety Management System (SMS).

In August this year, CASA made changes to the aerodrome rules to align them with international standards and expanded on the requirements of safety management systems. These changes mean some aerodromes will need to develop their first SMS and many existing aerodromes will need to review their SMS. CASA is sure the information provided throughout the week provide aerodromes with more information on how to create a SMS that meets the requirements of the aerodrome operation and regulations.

Last year the ATSB produced a publication to provide airport and aerodrome operators with advice on what to do should an accident occur, while providing a thorough understanding of the investigation process to help minimise disruption to airport operations.

Airport Safety Week 2020 is another opportunity to remind airport operators of three key responsibilities in the event of an aviation accident: respond, report and preserve. That is to respond with their aerodrome emergency plan, report the accident to the ATSB, and along with emergency services preserve the accident site. The booklet, titled Information and guidelines for aerodrome operators, can be found on the ATSB’s website.

Airservices Australia is using Airport Safety Week 2020 to highlight the criticality of Aerodrome Emergency Plans and the collaborative role Airservices emergency management staff can perform in reviewing and supporting improvements in this important area.

Many aerodromes across Australia have already benefitted from Airservices input and airport operators are being reminded that regardless of the size of the facility, Airservices expert safety advice is applicable to minimise the risk of safety occurrences in the aviation sector.

More information about Airport Safety Week can be found on the AAA’s website.(Opens in a new tab/window) 

Stop bars are now in use at five capital city airports around Australia.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Airservices Australia are reminding all pilots and operators this Airport Safety Week to be aware that stop bar lights at runway intersections are now in operation at five capital city airports around Australia, and not to cross a lit stop bar at any time.

Stop bar lights are red when illuminated and are embedded across the taxiway at all runway holding points and intersections. Stop bars are controlled by Airservices Australia air traffic controllers during operational tower hours as an added safety measure to prevent an aircraft or authorised vehicle unintentionally entering or crossing an active runway.

Following the recent publishing of the final report into a runway incursion and subsequent rejected take-off event at Perth Airport on 28 April 2018, the ATSB’s investigation highlights the need for all pilots, no matter their experience or what aircraft they fly, to always observe for, and comply with the stop bar directions.  

After landing, the pilot of a Boeing 737-800 crossed a lit stop bar and entered the active crossing runway where another 737 had commenced its take-off. Airservices Aerodrome Controller in Perth Tower alerted the departing aircraft to the runway incursion and instructed the 737 to stop. Both aircraft stopped safely and there was no collision.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said that in the past five years (1 September 2015 to 1 September 2020) 100 runway incursions involving stop bars at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth Brisbane and Canberra airports had been reported to the ATSB. Of these occurrences, 89 involved aircraft with the remaining 11 involved airside vehicles.

“Fortunately, none of these runway incursions have resulted in any accidents,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “All of these occurrences have involved airliners, general aviation aircraft and authorised airport vehicles at different times of the day and night, and at different holding points, so there has been no identifiable commonality.”

Airservices Chief Air Traffic Controller Glen Lang reminds all pilots and authorised airside drivers that they must not cross a runway holding point until the stop bar has been extinguished and they have received verbal clearance from air traffic control.

“If you have a clearance to enter the runway but the stop bars are still lit, please query this with air traffic control before proceeding,” Mr Lang said. “I would encourage all operators and pilots to include checking the stop bar status as a requirement in their line up and crossing runway checks.”

Read the investigation report into the runway incursion involving Boeing 737, VH-XZM, resulting in a rejected take-off involving Boeing 737, VH-VZL, Perth Airport, Western Australia, on 28 April 2018

ATSB welcomes appointment of new Commissioner.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) today welcomed the appointment of Ms Catherine Scott as a member of the ATSB Commission, effective from 8 September 2020.

Appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Ms Scott brings to the ATSB Commission a wealth of experience in the rail industry, including expertise in governance, finance and risk management, and regulatory frameworks.

Ms Scott is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has held a range of board memberships including the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and V/Line Passenger Pty Ltd.

The ATSB’s Chief Commissioner, Mr Greg Hood, welcomed the expertise and experience Ms Scott brings to the Commission.

“I have no doubt Ms Scott will make a significant contribution to the ATSB's work of improving transport safety in Australia,” Chief Commissioner Hood said.

“I look forward to working with Ms Scott as we position the ATSB to support and advance the national transport safety agenda.”

Chief Commissioner Hood also thanked the outgoing Commissioner, Ms Carolyn Walsh for her significant contribution to transport safety during her tenure as the ATSB’s longest-serving Commissioner commencing on 8 March 2010. The Executive and staff also expressed their thanks to Commissioner Walsh for her passion, determination and unwavering commitment towards serving the Bureau’s needs and best interests.

Weather, aircraft performance and operating procedures focus for on-going C-130 large air tanker investigation.

Weather and environmental influences, aircraft performance and handling, and operating policies and procedures are among the areas of ongoing focus as the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) continues its investigation into the collision with terrain of a C-130 large air tanker.  

Three aircrew were fatally injured when the aircraft impacted rising terrain after conducting a fire retardant drop to protect property at Peak View, north of Cooma, NSW on 23 January 2020.

“The interim report does not contain findings nor identify safety issues, which will be contained in the final report. However, it does detail the extensive evidence gathered to date, which has helped ATSB investigators develop a detailed picture of this tragic accident’s sequence of events,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood.

“To-date, the ATSB has interviewed other pilots and key personnel from the aircraft operator, NSW Rural Fire Service personnel involved in aviation operations, witnesses, C-130 and other aerial firefighting pilots, and key personnel in overseas aerial firefighting operations.”

In addition, while the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder was inoperative, the investigation team drew upon ADS-B transponder data (used for air traffic control and surveillance); data recorded by the aircraft’s SkyTrac tracking system (used for monitoring by the NSW Rural Fire Service); and video of the accident taken by firefighters on the ground, to develop an understanding of the aircraft’s flight path.

Analysis of the witness video confirmed that the aircraft initially established a positive rate of climb and was banking to the left following the retardant drop, the report details.

After climbing for about 10 seconds the aircraft was then observed to roll from a left bank to a slight right bank. A maximum height of about 330 feet above ground level was reached before the aircraft was observed descending. A further seven seconds later, the aircraft was observed at a very low height above the ground, in a left bank, before it collided with the ground. 

In the video the aircraft is intermittently obscured by smoke, however, it is unclear if the aircraft flew behind the smoke or entered smoke, Mr Hood noted.

The report also notes that at the time of the retardant drop, the aircraft’s recorded ground speed (determined from ADS-B and SkyTrac data) was 144 knots, while prior to the impact, the groundspeed had increased slightly to a maximum of 151 knots.

Mr Hood said the ATSB’s examination of the accident site and recovered wreckage established no evidence of structural failure or pre-existing damage to the aircraft.

“All major sections of the aircraft’s structure were identified. No pre-existing airframe issues were identified, and there was no evidence of an in‑flight break-up or pre-impact structural damage,” Mr Hood said.

“All four engines and 16 propeller blades were located on-site, and a subsequent teardown inspection of the engines indicated they were rotating at impact.”

Due to the extent of damage, the elevator, aileron and rudder trim settings could not be established. However, on-site measurements of the flap screw jacks indicated the flaps were set at 50 per cent at impact, consistent with the expected setting following a retardant drop.

The aircraft was originally tasked to conduct retardant drops at the Adaminaby fire ground. However, after conducting a number of circuits over the fire ground, the crew determined that conditions were too windy and smoky to conduct a drop. Instead, the Cooma Fire Control Centre re-tasked the C-130 to conduct a retardant drop to protect property at Peak View, about 58 km to the east of Adaminaby.

Following the accident, the ATSB received multiple witness reports of the weather conditions at Peak View.

“Witnesses all consistently reported very strong winds from the north-west,” Mr Hood said.

“One resident noted that, although the prevailing wind was from the north-west, the direction and strength at ground level were also being influenced by the local terrain.”

A private weather station, about 1.3 km from the accident site, had recorded winds from the west of 15-16 knots, with a peak gust from the north-west of 43 knots.

Mr Hood said a Bureau of Meteorology analysis of the weather conditions on the day of the accident indicated that a cold front was approaching the accident location, with hot and strong north to north-westerly winds ahead of the front.

“The Bureau of Meteorology considered the conditions on the day were favourable for mountain wave development, and satellite imagery of cloud formations confirmed their presence in the general area of the accident,” he said.

“However, from the data available they were unable to determine the severity of mountain wave activity.”

The interim report also notes that the flight crew were appropriately licenced and endorsed, held valid medical certificates, and that there no indications they were fatigued. However, there was insufficient information available to the ATSB about the crew members’ sleep and non-duty activities to estimate fatigue levels with confidence.

“The investigation is continuing. However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken,” Mr Hood said.

Read the interim report: Collision with terrain involving Lockheed EC130Q, N134CG, 50 km north-east of Cooma-Snowy Mountains Airport (near Peak View), New South Wales, on 23 January 2020

Applications now open for the November intake of the Graduate Certificate in Transport Safety Investigation course.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and RMIT University recently established a strategic partnership to teach how to manage and lead accident investigations of aviation, rail and marine vehicles. Applications for the November intake of the Graduate Certificate in Transport Safety Investigation are now open.  

The ATSB and RMIT collaboration ensures the course is industry-relevant and work-integrated, and is a great career development opportunity for professionals to gain skills in transport safety investigation. RMIT has extensive expertise in multi-modal transport safety systems and experience in industry-focused education. The ATSB provides advice on the development of the program structure and the course material, and a significant number of topics are delivered by ATSB subject matter experts with in-depth industry experience.

“The Graduate Certificate Transport Safety Investigation imparted expert knowledge from both the ATSB and RMIT that enabled me to adopt improved practices into my companies own investigation program,” a recent graduate of the course John Schembri said. “This in turn provided valuable tools to our investigation procedures, as well adding to the credibility of the investigation program.“

The Graduate Certificate in Transport Safety Investigation consists of four courses (or units of study) which run in intensive blocks, which means you can fit them around your professional obligations.

The courses covered are:

• Investigation Readiness: intensive offered 23 – 27 November 2020
• Human Factors for Investigators: intensive offered 30 November – 4 December 2020
• Accident Investigation Fundamentals: intensive offered 15 – 19 February 2021
• Analysis and Analytical Writing Techniques: intensive offered 22 – 26 February 2021

Due to the ongoing travel restrictions in Victoria, the first two courses in this program (i.e., OENG1200 and OENG1201) will be delivered online in a virtual classroom. The corresponding delivery dates for these courses will remain unchanged, with further updates to be posted on the program’s webpage, and timely communicated to students, conditioned to the evolution of the current COVID-19 situation for the remaining two courses in early 2021.

If you are interested in improving your transport safety investigation skills within your work and are looking for industry-relevant training, you can find out more on the RMIT website(Opens in a new tab/window), including how to apply(Opens in a new tab/window) directly for the 2020 November intake. 

ATSB farewells longest-serving Commissioner, Carolyn Walsh.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has today farewelled Carolyn Walsh from its Commission after more than a decade of helping to improve transport safety for all Australians.

The ATSB’s longest-serving Commissioner, Ms Walsh provided guidance and advice drawing upon her more than 30 years’ experience in policy development, regulation and safety management at Commonwealth and state government levels.

“I would sincerely like to thank and acknowledge Commissioner Walsh for her tremendous contribution to the ATSB in general, and more specifically the provision of her invaluable rail industry knowledge and experience to improve transport safety in that sector,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said.

“During her 10 year tenure, her wealth of knowledge and depth of experience has greatly contributed to several high profile investigations.”

Ms Walsh jointed the ATSB Commission on 8 March 2010, bringing with her 15 years’ of experience in the transport sector, where she served as the Executive Director of Strategy in the NSW Office of the Coordinator General of Rail, and as Chief Executive of the NSW Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator.

“The Commission, the Executive and staff of the ATSB express our thanks to Commissioner Walsh for her passion, determination and unwavering commitment in guiding and supporting the Bureau,” Mr Hood said

“We wish her all the very best in her future endeavours and thank her for her exemplary contribution to improving transport safety in Australia.”

Ms Walsh continues in the role as Chair of the National Transport Commission, and as the acting Chair at the NSW Environmental Protection Agency.

A new member of the ATSB Commission is anticipated to be announced in the coming weeks.

ATSB releases Broome R44 helicopter in-flight breakup accident preliminary report.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s investigation into the in-flight breakup of a Robinson R44 helicopter at Broome, Western Australia on 4 July 2020 is continuing.  

A preliminary report from the on-going investigation details that the helicopter, with a pilot and three passengers on board, had departed a yard in the Broome industrial suburb of Bilingurr for a private local scenic flight.

As the helicopter reached a height of about 55 feet, witnesses heard a bang, which one described as sounding similar to a metal bar striking a metal pole. Footage from a nearby CCTV camera showed that the R44’s aft tail cone bulkhead, empennage, tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor assembly all separated from the helicopter in about one second. The helicopter climbed to around 75 feet while rotating rapidly to the right, before rolling and impacting the ground on its right side, about 30 metres from the departure point.

The pilot, who owned the helicopter, and a passenger, both seated on the right side of the helicopter, were fatally injured, while the front left seat and rear left seat passengers were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed.

“ATSB preliminary reports detail factual information established in the investigation’s early evidence collection phase, and contain no analysis or findings, which will be detailed in the investigation’s final report,” ATSB Director Transport Safety Dr Mike Walker noted.

The preliminary report details that on 29 June the R44 was ferried from Bilingurr to Broome Airport, where it was fitted with a tracking system.

“That pilot reported feeling a vibration in the tail rotor pedals that felt like someone tapping the pilot’s feet with spoons. The sensation was noticeable yet not strong enough to cause significant alarm.”

Three days later the helicopter’s owner, accompanied by a passenger, returned the helicopter to Bilingurr, where on landing the owner also reported feeling vibrations in the pedals, and requested maintenance engineers inspect the helicopter.

Subsequently on 3 July, a maintenance engineer visually inspected the R44’s flex plate, empennage, gearbox, pitch links and tail rotor assembly, and found no defects. In addition, the maintenance engineer and an apprentice used electronic dynamic balancing equipment to measure the dynamic balance of the tail rotor, which was found to be within limits.

A maintenance pilot started the helicopter, and while ground running the R44 could not feel any vibration through the pedals. In addition, the maintenance engineer leant into the cabin and placed their hands on the pedals, and also could not feel any vibration.

Due to the confined nature of the yard, and concerns over securing the site, the maintenance pilot elected not to test fly the helicopter, and so the tail rotor system was not assessed under load. The maintenance pilot stated separately advising the pilot who originally detected the vibration and the owner that the engineers had not detected a vibration, and that the tail rotor was in balance. The maintenance pilot also stated that the owner was told that no changes were made to the balance weights, that the helicopter had not been flown, and that an instruction from the engineer to conduct a check flight was relayed.

The accident flight was conducted the following day, with the helicopter owner as the pilot.

“It is not clear whether the pilot experienced any vibrations through the pedals at the time of the accident flight,” Dr Walker said.

“Nevertheless, the ATSB urges any R44 pilot who experiences unusual vibrations through the tail rotor pedals to land as soon as possible and follow the advice in the pilot’s operating handbook.”

The R44 pilot’s operating handbook advises that a “change in the sound or vibration of the helicopter may indicate an impending failure of a critical component. If unusual sound or vibration begins in flight, make a safe landing and have the aircraft thoroughly inspected before flight is resumed”.

A number of major components from the R44 were recovered to the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra for further analysis, including the tail rotor assembly, gearbox, vertical fin and rear section of the tail cone.

“No definitive results from our examinations are available at this stage, and a non-destructive 3D X-ray of the tail rotor gearbox prior to its disassembly did not find evidence of internal damage,” Dr Walker said.

“The ATSB will continue to extensively examine and analyse the recovered components as it seeks to determine the contributing factors behind the in-flight break-up.”

As the investigation continues, the ATSB will examine a range of aspects.

“These include the on-going, detailed technical examination of the helicopter’s tail and tail rotor assembly; continued review of the accident helicopter’s construction, assembly, flight and maintenance history; and further analysis of the CCTV footage,” Dr Walker said.

The ATSB will also review policies and procedures for maintenance check flights, and examine related occurrences involving the R44.

“While the investigation is continuing, should a critical safety issue be identified at any time, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken.”

Read the preliminary report: In-flight break-up, Robinson R44 Raven I, VH-NBY, 3 km north of Broome Airport, Western Australia on 4 July 2020

Key points:

• Nozzle guide vane aerofoil in a CF6 engine fails shortly after take-off
• Crew executed in-flight engine shutdown, turnback and overweight landing
• Engine manufacturer changed nozzle guide vane protective coating for better oxidation resistance

The flight crew of an Airbus A330 shut down one of the aircraft’s two General Electric CF6 engines and turned back to their departure airport after the engine experienced a nozzle guide vane aerofoil failure.

The Qantas A330-300, registered VH-QPI, had departed Sydney Airport on 1 June 2018 bound for Bangkok, Thailand, operating a scheduled passenger flight with 13 crewmembers and 297 passengers on board.

As the engine thrust was being reduced from the take‑off setting at an altitude of about 1,700 feet, the first officer (the pilot monitoring) heard a sound described as a ‘pop’. The flight crew also received an ECAM (electronic centralised aircraft monitor) advisory message relating to the right engine’s vibration level, and observed light airframe vibration.

The flight crew discontinued the climb and consulted the ‘High Engine Vibration’ checklist, which directed them to reduce the right engine’s thrust to idle. With the reduction in thrust, the vibration on the right engine reduced but remained relatively high. To prevent further engine damage, the crew shut down the engine, with the vibration ceasing as a consequence.

The flight crew then initiated a holding pattern, and while holding they decided to return to Sydney and perform an overweight landing, in line with company procedures. The descent and return to Sydney Airport was uneventful, with the aircraft landing safely.

“Initial inspection by engineering staff found visible damage to the right engine low-pressure turbine, and damage to the aircraft’s wing flap lower surfaces and body fairings due to engine debris impact,” noted ATSB Director Transport Safety Stuart Macleod.

The engine was removed and sent to engine manufacturer General Electric’s overhaul facility in Taiwan for detailed examination and repair, where it was identified that oxidation and deterioration of the protective coating of the low-pressure turbine stage 4 nozzle guide vane (NGV) segments had led to intergranular oxidation, crack development and loss of an aerofoil from the number 5 segment.

“The liberated aerofoil impacted downstream rotating components, resulting in a loss of turbine blade material, a rotor imbalance and the subsequent airframe vibration,” said Mr Macleod.

“Despite the high reliability of modern turbine engines, this incident illustrates that flight crews can still be faced with malfunctions that require their combined judgement and expertise to manage the situation safely.”

Following this occurrence, General Electric changed the protective coating on NGVs from chromide to vapour-phased aluminide, citing better resistance to oxidation.

Qantas, meanwhile, proactively worked to ensure stage four low-pressure turbine NGV segments that exhibited cracking of the aerofoil leading edge were removed from service, and that only new – and not overhauled segments – were fitted to its CF6-80E1 engines. It also introduced a borescope inspection program that was successful in identifying other engines with aerofoil cracking and removed those affected engines from service.

Read the final report: Engine vibrations and in-flight shutdown involving Airbus A330, VH-QPI, near Sydney Airport, New South Wales, on 1 June 2018

ATSB releases preliminary report into AW139 helicopter main rotor blade strike.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into an accident where the main rotor blades of an AW139 emergency services helicopter struck trees while winching a rescue crew officer during a medical retrieval task on 20 June 2020 is continuing.

Of the helicopter’s five main rotor blades, one blade sustained significant damage to its tip cap. The same blade also sustained a small skin puncture about one metre from the blade tip, while two other blades showed evidence of damage to the abrasion strip on the outer most edge of the tip cap.

The helicopter, operated by Queensland Government Air and using the callsign ‘Rescue 500’, was retrieving a horse rider who was injured in a fall at a property west of Caboolture. The flight was conducted at night with the aircrew using the helicopter’s night vision imaging system, including night vision goggles. The rotor strike occurred when the rescue crew officer (RCO) was being winched on board the helicopter from a confined area, after the patient, in a stretcher, and the flight paramedic, had been winched back together into the helicopter.

“An ATSB preliminary report from the ongoing investigation notes that after the rotor blades struck the trees, the pilot immediately applied collective input to climb and manoeuvred the helicopter to the left away from the tree line,” said ATSB Director Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley.

As the helicopter moved away from the confined area the RCO was partially dragged through surrounding trees, before being recovered back into the helicopter, the report notes.

“The pilot reported that feedback through the flight controls remained normal and the helicopter’s crew alerting system remained clear, with no abnormal vibrations felt by the pilot or detected by the helicopter systems,” Dr Godley said.

The pilot elected to return to the helicopter’s base at Archerfield, where a running landing was completed, and the patient was transferred to a road ambulance.

A subsequent engineering examination of the helicopter identified the damage to the three main rotor blades. After inspection by ATSB transport safety investigators, the damaged blades were then shipped to the helicopter’s manufacturer, Leonardo, in Italy for detailed inspection and repair.

“ATSB preliminary reports detail factual information established in the investigation’s early evidence collection phase, and contain no analysis or findings, which will be detailed in the investigation’s final report,” Dr Godley noted.

As the investigation continues, the ATSB will conduct a detailed aerial survey of the incident site, Dr Godley noted.

“The on-going investigation will also include detailed examination and analysis of the weather conditions and data from the helicopter’s multi-purpose flight recorder, a review of the operator’s procedures and risk controls and aircrew training records, and analysis of the AW139 helicopter’s autohover and anti-vibration systems.”

The ATSB notes that Queensland Government Air has reported taking a number of proactive safety actions in response to the incident.

These include issuing several standards directives to their aircrew including a requirement for the pilot-in-command to land as soon as possible when either ‘suspecting or observing’ helicopter damage, and introducing ‘terrain/obstacle clearance limits depending on the nature of the environment and task.

The operator has also released aircrew memorandums providing additional guidance regarding the potential for the AW139 active vibration control system to mask significant damage to the main rotor blade system, clarification regarding the limitations when using the autohover system, and aircrew related fatigue management requirements.

Read the preliminary report: Main rotor blade strike involving Leonardo s.p.a helicopters AW139, VH-EGK, near Caboolture, Queensland, on 20 June 2020

ATSB supports Rail Safety Week 2020.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is joining over 80 organisations in promoting the important messages of Rail Safety Week 2020: Rail safety – I am RailSAFE, across 10–16 August.

This year, Rail Safety Week is calling on the community to be ‘RailSAFE’ when interacting with the rail network. The ATSB’s messaging over the week emphasises that potential dangers exist around a railway, including light rail.

The ATSB’s will promote the four key steps needed to be ‘RailSafe’ – stay  off the tracks, avoid distractions, follow instructions, and encourage others to be SAFE.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said Rail Safety Week is an important opportunity to bring the issue of rail safety to the attention of all Australian road users and rail passengers.

“As part of the ATSB’s efforts to promote Rail Safety Week, we will be highlighting the safety messages of some of our investigations undertaken that tie directly to this year’s theme,” Mr Hood said.

Please be patient and adhere to the signals and warnings signs at all level and pedestrian crossings

“Rail safety is everyone’s responsibility, year-round. Please keep this in mind, not just for this week, but throughout the year.”

With work patterns disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ATSB reminds all road users and pedestrians to be extra vigilant when using level crossings that they may not have used as frequently in recent months.

“Even if you frequently use a level or pedestrian crossing, take the time to have an extra look and be alert,” Mr Hood said.

“Please be patient and adhere to the signals and warnings signs.”

The ATSB is the nation’s independent ‘no-blame’ rail safety investigator. Our investigations aim to determine what and why an accident happened, identify ongoing safety risks, and to influence safety actions to address those safety issues.

For more information on how you can be RailSAFE, visit the Rail Safety Week 2020 website(Opens in a new tab/window)