On Track Plant - Machine Fire-Arson Attack
Scottish Woodlands Health & Safety Toolbox Talk
Two items of On-Track Plant (OTP), an OTP Excavator and an OTP Chipper, were vandalised and set on fire. They were parked out of sight, within a security fence protected area, within a Network Rail access point.
The vandals are understood to have accessed the parked-up machinery by trespassing further down the line and walking up the track. There was evidence that the vehicles were broken into - the glass was smashed ‘into’ the excavator and the three fire extinguishers, two from inside the excavator and one from the chipper, had been removed, emptied, and thrown down the track and into the surrounding vegetation, none of them showed any heat damage.
Ultimately, it is difficult to entirely eliminate determined vandalism. However, there are a number of preventative measures which may be put into place to limit its likelihood, and its consequences.
- Removal of plant from site between shifts.
- Fitting of vandal guards on machines
- Setting up CCTV, recording or remotely monitored, and/or alarmed, with associated highly visible warning signage, to both deter and respond to attacks and support the prosecution of perpetrators.
- For large, long duration projects, in high-risk areas, on-site security will be the most effective option.
Read the full TBT below for more background and preventative measures.