GERT8000-HB3 Iss 4

Changes have been made to the situations in which unassisted lookouts can be used as a safe system of work, and this handbook has been amended to reflect those changes.

Sections six and seven have been withdrawn as the use of distant and intermediate lookouts is no longer permitted. Also, section five has been revised to remove reference to distant and intermediate lookouts.

Section four has been revised to state that site lookouts cannot be used during darkness, poor visibility or when in or near a tunnel. In the same section, reference to the lookout’s view becoming ‘blocked’ has been changed to ‘obscured’ to explain in more simple language that this refers to both stationary and moving obstructions. Reference to ‘pee wee’ has been removed as it is no longer used. 

Reference to the obsolete competency of safe work leader has been removed from sections three, four and five.

The changes to reduce the use of the lookout competency would be expected to contribute to a reduction in trackside risk and support the work of the Network Rail Safety Task Force.