Appendix 2

Appendix 2 – Accidents and incidents

Procedures for notification of accidents and incidents

It is a requirement under section 13(3) of the Railways Act, that the rail operator or access provider concerned must ensure, as soon as practicable, that Land Transport NZ is notified of any accident or incident and provided with information about the occurrence as required.

Under section 13(4) of the Railways Act, Land Transport NZ must notify TAIC of any accidents of which it has been advised and of incidents which Land Transport NZ considers should be investigated by TAIC.

Land Transport NZ may inform DOL of any accident involving serious harm (as defined in the HSE Act), or of any hazard at a rail participant's site which people were exposed to. This does not absolve the rail participant from their reporting responsibilities to DOL as required by the HSE Act.

Land Transport NZ will advise rail participants when any accident or incident is notified to TAIC and when any accident is reported to DOL.

In the event of a rail related accident resulting in death or serious injury to people, the Police and emergency services will be involved as appropriate. Land Transport NZ's response, acting on behalf of the New Zealand government, to such an event and subsequent investigation, is set out in the Land Transport NZ document Emergency preparedness and response published in August 1999. Copies were supplied to licence holders and emergency service organisations at the time of publication. Additional copies may be obtained from Land Transport NZ on request.

All accidents and incidents are required to be reported to Land Transport NZ. The urgency with which Land Transport NZ requests that it be notified depends on the severity of the occurrence and are set out below along with the contact details for notification.

Accidents and significant incidents to be notified immediately

As soon as practicable (aim for within two hours), rail participants shall verbally (or by text message or by other agreed means) notify Land Transport NZ of all accidents (where death or serious injury to individuals or significant damage to property results).

Land Transport NZ must also be notified of other significant incidents as follows:

• Collisions:
  • between rail vehicles (RV)
  • between RV and a road vehicle carrying fare paying passengers
  • between RV and a person
  • between RV and significant obstacles during movements
  • involving RV and resulting in the significant release of dangerous goods.
• Derailments:
  • of running trains
  • of other RVs, when the consequence involves the public, third party lineside land/property or public roads.
• Significant operating rule irregularities including track protection irregularities.
• Fallen loads involving the public, third party lineside land/property or public roads.
• RV component failure involving significant risk to a person.
• Explosions, fire or significant fumes on an RV involving significant risk to a person.
• Significant occurrences likely to attract media attention or in which the rail participant thinks Land Transport NZ would have an immediate interest.

Accidents and incidents which are to be reported by the following day

All accidents and incidents are required to be reported to Land Transport NZ. Immediate notifications (as detailed above) need to be followed up in writing. In addition, all other incidents must be notified as well. This can be by facsimile, email or other agreed method – Land Transport NZ requires written notification to be received by 12 noon on the next working day following the occurrence.

The following lists the occurrences that must be notified. The list is not exhaustive and rail participants are expected to take a proactive approach to reporting other occurrences, where the risk is judged to be similar to the incidents shown below.

Land Transport NZ is to be notified of all accidents (where death or serious injury to individuals or significant damage to property results).

Land Transport NZ must also be notified about the following incidents:

• Collisions:
  • between RVs
  • between RV and a vehicle on a level crossing
  • between RV and a person
  • between RV and significant obstacles
  • between RV and shifted load
  • involving RV resulting in the significant release of dangerous goods.
• Derailments:
  • of running trains
  • of other RVs, when the consequences involve the public, third party lineside land/property or public roads
  • of RVs in yards and sidings when a person or persons is placed at significant risk
  • of RVs other than running trains (eg, hi-rail vehicles), when travelling on the main line.
• RV component failure involving:
  • wrongside door, safety barrier, brake or bogie failures on running trains
  • partings on passenger trains.
• Significant explosions, fire or fumes on running trains, excluding minor brake grid fires.
• Significant release of dangerous goods into the environment from an RV.
• Significant safety-critical irregularity in overhead traction or power supplies involving an RV.
• Loading irregularities of fallen or shifted (outside the loading gauge) loads.
• Signalling system or crossing alarm failure that could reasonably place a person or persons at significant risk.
• Signals passed at danger (SPAD) due to reversions.
• All other SPADs except instances of minor misjudgement.
• Alleged or confirmed operating rules breaches involving:
  • track protection irregularities
  • failure to secure brakes allowing rolling stock runaway
  • incapacitation (eg, by alcohol or drugs), of critical safety staff whilst on duty
  • significant safe working irregularities eg, track warrant control
  • significant telecommunications or radio failures.
• Persons (including trespassers) who:
  • fall from an RV
  • fall between an RV and station platform
  • fall while embarking or alighting from an RV
  • are caught in a train door in circumstances involving significant risk.
• Vandalism or wilful interference which could reasonably place a person at significant risk eg:
  • stones/objects thrown at a train
  • obstruction deliberately placed on track
  • interference with signalling or communication equipment
  • interference with level crossing protection equipment
  • interference with fixed infrastructure including track
  • unauthorised external riding of trains.

Contacting Land Transport NZ Transport Agency

Immediate notification

24 hours per day 7 days per week.

By telephone to Land Transport NZ Transport Agency emergency number: 04 499 1858 (or to agreed text message distribution list).

After hours when the office is unattended the phone will divert to a message service so stay on the line until it is answered.

Information exchangeFacsimile notification

In its capacity as ‘observer’ to the Australian Railway Safety Regulators Panel, Land Transport NZ may provide statistics in an agreed format to the requirements of AS 4292 Railway safety management , for information exchange. This information may be used for the purposes of comparison and benchmarking, it will be kept confidential to the regulators and railways concerned and not released to the public unless the rail participant's permission to disclose is first obtained and requirements of the Official Information Act 1982 are taken into account.

Accident and incident notification and report form

The form below is to be completed in the event of any accident or incident notifiable to Land Transport NZ.

Download the rail accident and incident notification form

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This page updated: 16 March 2016