Height and Confined Space Safety in Melbourne Railway Project

Removing 9 dangerous and congested level crossings from one of the busiest railway lines in Melbourne, sounds like a recipe for disaster. However, this is exactly what was successfully completed in mid-2018 on the Caulfield to Dandenong Railway line level crossing removal project. Once completed, this project significantly improved traffic flow and reduced congestion on surrounding roads. However, completing a project like this required the highest quality safety for those working at heights and in confined spaces.

“RISSafety was engaged in the early design phase of this important project to develop height and confined space solutions for the elevated railway with twin decks spanning a total of roughly 6km” said Graham Farrey, RISsafety’s State Manager for VIC/TAS. Working on this project did not come immediately to RISsafety. Instead, many avenues were exhausted, and many contacts had been reached out to before RISSafety was found and appointed to the task.

RISSafety was determined to be the perfect partner on this project as one major skillset stood out from the rest. RISSafety was able to deliver a completely customised safety solution from design through to installation and training, while most of the other potential partners could not meet this end to end requirement. “The project involved a long list of electrical safety requirements, WH&S requirements, access requirements and most importantly, durability requirements. No other company came close to meeting all these necessities,” RISSafety was told. When it comes to height safety and confined space safety, it’s never safe to rely on a ‘one-size-fits’ all approach.

From the client’s perspective, they were extremely happy with the solution provided. RISSafety was able to satisfy every concern and requirement they had. RISSafety provided an expansive solution including custom made fibre glass extendable ladders, anchor points, internal handrails and access hatches on tracks so they could be slid open. These access hatches allowed for a single key to access at all sites, and the client loved this convenience. Better still, all RISSafety products are made from high quality aluminium, fibreglass, steel or stainless steel so they are designed to withstand the harsh Australian and New Zealand weather conditions.

It’s not just about recommending a solution though, RISSafety installs their custom systems too. With trained installers in every location, systems are installed to the highest quality with maximum protection and in minimal installation time, and within the strict scheduling requirements to deliver the project on time.

In this type of confined environment on the elevated railway line, it is not usually the case to create a highly secure, safe and user-friendly access point. However, RISSafety was able to deliver on this requirement by providing access that met these requirements, during the project and well into the future, which was an important need for ongoing access for maintenance purposes.

A project like this is never clear cut, even for the client themselves. RISSafety was involved in the journey from the start and continued to work together closely throughout by proposing different custom solutions for each aspect of the project. This speaks volumes about the type of service that RISSafety prides themselves on, with Graham stating “we stay close to our client during all stages of projects, especially the tricky ones. There is no room for errors, and we make sure of it through our hands-on approach.”

“What stood out the most for the client, above all else, was the fact that RISSafety make most of their equipment locally in Australia. Being a government project, the policy was ‘local industry first’ and RISsafety’s local manufacturing helped to seal the deal, in comparison to most other suppliers importing product from overseas,” said Graham. Further to this, everything that RISSafety designs, manufactures and installs is tested and certified by accredited independent third parties and meets AS/NZS 1891.4, AS/NZS 5532, AS/NZS4488 AS/NZS 1657 Standards.

As a leading height safety provider, RISSafety delivered a solution fit for purpose, that provided a fully integrated system that could not be matched elsewhere. RISsafety’s wealth of experience in designing, manufacturing, installing and inspecting any requirement shone through on this project. “We offer a fantastic service and we’re competitive too” says Graham.