Assessing risk at railway stations involves a number of factors. But ensuring the safety of visitors, commuters and staff is one of the most important elements.
Britons make over 1 billion train journeys a year, and London Waterloo, the UK’s busiest railway station, gets over 94 million visits a year. With so many people commuting to work every day or using the train to take holidays and outings, train stations need to be safe for everyone.
With train line companies being responsible for so many stations across the country, they need to ensure that any anti-slip measures that are put in place after a risk assessment meet their needs, while remaining cost effective.
High Traffic Areas
Whether assessing risk for public areas, such as platforms and stairways, or maintenance areas for staff, consideration must be given to the kind of flooring being used. Does it have all the anti-slip properties, and meet the safety requirements of high traffic, high impact areas?
GRP products from GripClad are ideally suited to both maintenance areas around the station, as well as public areas. They provide the necessary anti-slip properties needed in any communal space, they are easy to install, practical, and aesthetically appealing for visitors.
Railway Stairs
Our anti-slip stair tread covers and stair nosings can be fitted in minutes and walked on immediately, ensuring there is little to no downtime and achieving an immediate positive safety enhancement.
Hard wearing and resistant to all weathers and high levels of foot traffic, our anti-slip stair tread covers and nosings are ideal for both external and internal railway station stairs. They are also available in a wide range of colours and sizes.
Platforms
Platforms need an extra level of safety assessment. This is where the public could potentially come into contact with fast-moving trains. As such, extra precautions must be taken. In addition to providing regular non-slip flooring, a risk assessment demands the need for clear signage and tactile pavers to indicate the edge of the platform.
Tactile pavers from GripClad are compliant with the Equality Act 2010. They are capable of warning visually impaired users of hazards ahead, while providing an additional, tactile warning to all visitors of the platform edge.
Rail Risk Management for Maintenance
For staff working on the railway itself, you need a walkway solution that is safe and can be shaped around railway lines. An alternative to anti-slip panels, steel gratings or planks, GRP gratings are a cost-effective and versatile solution for railway station footbridges and walkways.
They are lightweight, can be cut to specific sizes to fit around complex rail layouts, and provide all the anti-slip properties that satisfy a railway risk assessment.
Available as GRP square moulded open mesh, minimesh and pultruded gratings, their reliability and durability means they are long lasting and maintenance free, even with the high impact of passing trains. They are ideal for outdoors areas, thanks to their superior water, UV and weather resistance.
If you are looking to improve your railway station site and prepare it for future risk assessments, get in touch today. At GripClad, we have provided railways stations across the country with the GRP solutions they need to ensure the future safety of their sites. Check out our Network Rail case study for more information.