Network Rail Fined £700,000 After Serious Fire Accident

Court hears how a rail worker suffered severe burns as a result of a fire caused by health and safety breaches in an electrical substation in Kent.

Recently, Network Rail pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrate’s Court to an offense under the Health and Safety at Work Act for failing to protect the safety of staff.

failure to maintain dehumidifiers

The incident took place on 20 December 2018 after Network Rail failed, over a significant period of time, to prevent water from leaking into the building and to maintain dehumidifiers installed inside the substation located in Godinton.

The local news outlet, Kent Online, reported at the time of the fire: “An engineer suffered severe burns in a trackside fire which sparked travel chaos on the rail network. Thousands of rail passengers were left stranded after the blaze near Ashford International Station caused a power surge and huge disruption to services.”

unsafe conditions

This case highlights the importance of acting to reduce or eliminate known risks at an early stage"

In its investigation, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) found the conditions were unsafe, and that the failures led to an electrical arc and a fire while Network Rail’s employees were working on a circuit breaker. The conditions inside the substation on the day of the incident were described as 'like a sauna'.

Ian Prosser CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Railways, ORR said, “This case highlights the importance of acting to reduce or eliminate known risks at an early stage."

protecting health and safety

Ian Prosser CBE adds, “Network Rail knew of the water leak at Godinton for nine months and despite concerns raised by staff and contractors, the required work was repeatedly delayed. This was a known risk and the failure to deal with it effectively led to staff working in unsafe conditions, resulting in serious injuries to one employee. This case reinforces the importance of acting effectively on known concerns to protect the health and safety of employees on Britain’s railway.” 

performance and efficiency

In his remarks during the hearing, District Judge Barron said that as a result of failures in the system of work and the training program for technicians, Network Rail’s employees were exposed to risk when the flashover and fire occurred.

The Office of Rail and Road is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways and monitors the performance and efficiency of England’s strategic road network. On the railways, substations house electrical switchgear, and equipment which supply electricity to the live rail system powering the trains (‘the third rail’).