Keeping Rail Corridor workers safe with White Card RIW training

Working on any construction projects, the active members on site are required to have proper clearance which primarily certifies that the personnel has completed the required safety training. The clearance is literally a white card (previously, this was green) that needs to be presented to the supervising official before entry. To obtain this clearance, you need to undergo specialized White Card RIW training.

RIW training takes the personnel through a series of drills. These are designed to emulate the construction environment along with theory bases that educate the personnel in workplace conduct in the rail induction sites.

How is a white card necessary in Rail corridor sites?

Railway industry workers need to obtain White cards and RIW cards which certify them to be a qualified worker for railroads. Contractors are advised to make sure that workers are qualified and hold requisite cards, especially a White Card in order to ensure safety on the railroads. RIW training allows the personnel to be trained in operations in the rail corridor.

White card training is a part of this course that is exclusively designed to train the personnel in safety.

This will ensure minimal complications regarding railroad accidents and helping trains keep to schedules. The White card is issued when a personnel successfully completes RIW safety training which qualifies said personnel eligible for work in rail traffic.

Rig inspections are also a responsibility for railroad industry workers. These inspections are required to be conducted at regular and frequent intervals in order to ensure that trains operate smoothly. It also ensures that accidents are minimized on account of malfunctions.

It includes a detailed understanding of rail terminology, and signals and signaling indications. It also involves a comprehensive understanding of the rules and regulations that all rail corridor works need to follow. Working on railroads and with trains requires knowledge of safe zones where the workers can be safe from the slipstreams of passing trains and minimize railroad accidents. The training also covers electrical safety.

Most trains, nowadays, run on electricity and there are several complications that may arise in these circumstances, which also include fires, and it is essential for rail corridor workers to be proficient in electrical safety. Besides the aforementioned, it is also required to understand legal and personal matters regarding use of drugs and alcohol, and medical conditions such as fatigue.

Playing it safe

The most important aspect of white card training is ensuring that the personnel are well trained in first aid. In case of an emergency, a worker must be able to administer first aid to a colleague. In most accidents, it is the first aid that often saves one’s life. The white card certifies the personnel qualified for administering first aid.

As of now, the white card is compulsory in gaining access to all construction sites which include railway sectors. Each site comes with its own kind of accidents which is why this course is generalized. For a more specialized course, you need to apply for training in that sector. However, holding a white card grants you entry to any construction site.

I'm Tany Clarck, primarily a writer and I've been conducting White Card and Riw seminars in several institutions. I have conducted several interactive sessions regarding safety in construction environments