Metro Tunnel Project
Client: Rail Projects Victoria
Background
Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project (MTP) is developing an operational corridor between Pakenham East and Sunbury via a new twin rail tunnel and five underground stations located between the existing Footscray and Hawksburn stations. Rail Projects Victoria engaged JVAT to deliver a MTP System-Level Preliminary Hazard Analysis to identify potential risks affecting safe corridor operations, rolling stock, stations and infrastructure maintenance.
MTP uses the novel technology – Communications-based Train Control (CBTC), a more accurate method of tracking a train’s position than traditional signalling systems – which will be installed into High Capacity Metro Trains.
Approach
JVAT first conducted a desktop study on the system hazards, causal factors and safety functions. This, coupled with “day-in-the-life of” (DILO) scenarios, helped guide very effective workshop discussions. Following the identification and capture of various hazardous states by the workshops, each was assessed with the severity criteria. The System-Level PHA considered the route and operations, rolling stock, stations and infrastructure when undertaking its analysis. JVAT facilitated three workshops to assess four operational contexts:
- Train operations
- Station operations
- Maintenance and network control centre
- Operations planning
These workshops promoted both subject matter expert and stakeholder interaction in order to collectively identify hazardous states, associated top level events and causal factors.
JVAT’s team developed a systems definition for the MTP System-Level PHA, ensuring a clear and consistent context for the PHA workshops. The PHA activity utilised the bowtie diagram to represent potential accident sequences. This diagrammatic approach involves identifying top-level events leading to a hazardous system state, which has a number of potential causal factors preceding a specific outcome (i.e. injury or death).
JVAT identified MTP-specific observations to flag for further investigation. These hazardous states focus further work in the development and refinement of controls to eliminate or mitigate the identified hazards. In addition, the PHA provided a basis for a more detailed safety analysis of MTP systems and organisational interfaces. The JVAT team analysed the workshop finding and documented the hazardous states, associated top level events and causal factors through a detailed report.
Outcome
The outcome of this engagement ensured the project identified hazards and captured important information early to influence the design and safety program which de-risked the overall project delivery.
JVAT was engaged to deliver the System-Level Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), the purpose of which is to identify potential risks that could affect safe corridor operations and maintenance.
JVAT provides consultancy, advice, training and workshops to assist in identifying risk and managing safety tailored to a wide range of sectors, including Defence. To find out more, please get in touch.
