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Sheffield-based Zonegreen has completed a third project in as many years for the UK’s largest rail franchise, ensuring its depots benefit from the latest security technology.

Rail safety specialists have installed their flagship Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) at Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) Selhurst facility in Croydon, London.

Selhurst is the latest in a trio of updates for GTR that has seen Zonegreen replace outdated protection technology with its most sophisticated system yet. Battersea’s Stewarts Lane was the first reservoir to benefit, followed by Brighton.

Seven roads in the depot inspection shed are now protected by the latest version of DPPS, which creates safe zones for workers through the use of motorized derailers, controlled by RFID road end panels. It has also been interlocked with two overhead cranes, to prevent movement of vehicles when they are in operation.

DPPS is the most advanced and proven warehouse security technology on the market and is the only system that has been independently tested and verified for EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) compliance.

Workers are issued personal RFID cards, allowing them to log into road end panels and apply physical protection while working in a risk area. Only after the derailer has been lowered can a bypass sign be moved to “proceed”. Audible and visual warnings are then activated to alert personnel of impending vehicle movement.

Christian Fletcher, Zonegreen’s head of engineering, said: “Selhurst is a busy depot on the London to Brighton main line, so it was vital that our upgrades take place with minimal disruption. We are pleased to say that this has been achieved and that DPPS is now keeping staff at the facility safe from the many serious threats they face on the job every day: moving vehicles, powerful machinery, and high voltage electricity.

“We have created a standardized product that uses the latest technology to mitigate the margin of human error, which is often the main cause of warehouse accidents. By using modern electronics to reduce wiring and electrical components, our latest system is more robust and easier to install or expand, allowing for future upgrades.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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