Update on right of way safety gear

High-Visibility Safety Vests

As many of our members working for Sydney Trains would know, management recently trialled a removal of the high-visibility safety vests which are worn by staff when they are performing right of way procedures.

The RTBU conducted a member survey to find out what Guards and CSAs thought and the results were pretty clear – the majority of CSAs prefer to wear the vests and the vast majority (94%) of Guards prefer that the person performing these duties is wearing the vest. Read the results of the second survey here (link) 

It’s clear that it’s just not safe to remove the safety vests. It is also essential to have safety vests as customers use them to identify staff when they require assistance. This is especially relevant for customers with disabilities. 

Workers have now gone back to wearing the vests except in locations where paddles have been introduced. 

Paddle Light

There is currently a trial of a ‘Paddle Light’ system underway. The union has surveyed Guards and CSAs about the new system and will keep members updated as results come in. However, members mostly agree that these paddles should not replace safety vests. There are also major concerns that the paddle lights could be confuse with the guards indicator, which could lead to safety issues.