Describe Duty & sequence of Assist. Officer at a major accident site as AEN

Ans: -  (a) Protect Train - Any engineering staff available at the site of the accident shall assist the Guard and Driver to protect the train in accordance with the General & S.Rules.

(b) First aid and Rescue -

(c) Advice to nearest Station Master - After a rapid survey of the position, particulars should be sent to the nearest Station Master as in(Para 702) above. In case of controlled sections, a field telephone should be got commissioned at once. 

(d) Line Clear examination - If the Engineering official has reached the site and no traffic official is available he should carefully secure the line clear token or ticket and any caution order, where necessary. If the accident has occurred in a station yard, the train register book must be seized and if necessary, statement of staff concerned recorded; if line badges are in use, it should be recorded as to in whose possession each line badge was. The position of block instruments, signals, points, point levers, indicators, keys, etc. should be noted and recorded, jointly with the Inspectors of the other concerned departments, available at site.

(e) Preliminary clearing operation and preservation of clues -

(i) In all instances in which the means taken for the restoration of communication are likely to obliterate marks on the road and other evidence needed at a joint enquiry, the senior official who arrives first on the spot should carefully examine the track, train or vehicle and as soon as possible make notes, sketches etc. and hand over the same to his superior or produce them at the enquiry. He will, when the nature of the accident is such as will involve the question of eye-sight of any of the staff, verify (in case of those permitted to wear glasses) that they had worn glasses at the time of the accident and had carried a spare pair of glasses with them.

(ii) In all cases of accidents, the cause of which might possibly due to sabotage, it is essential that the clearance and restoration operations are not commenced till the Police officials arrive at the site and intimate their agreement to the commencement of clearance and restoration work, after, making thorough investigations.A factual note of the conditions obtaining at the site prior to restoration work should be prepared and signed jointly by the senior-most Police and Railway officials at the site. In the event of any difference of opinion between the Police and the Railway officials, such difference of opinion may be recorded on the joint factual note.

(iii) In other cases, clearance and restoration operations can commence even before the arrival of the Police and it is not necessary that all the rails, sleepers and fastenings involved in an accident should be preserved, but only those, whether serviceable or otherwise, which bear wheel marks, etc., specially between the points of mount and drop. In all cases of serious derailments, these are essential for a later reconstruction of the scene and should be preserved and/or recorded by the first responsible official to reach the site of the accident, as these would be valuable evidence to ascertain the cause of the accident.

(iv) After the injured persons have been attended to and arrangements made for the onward journey of the stranded passengers, the Railway officers at the site of the accident should arrange to record the preliminary statements of the staff concerned, as any delay in doing so, might result in some facts being suppressed or some evidence being fabricated during subsequent enquiries. 

(v) In case sabotage is suspected, the procedure as outlined in clause   (ii) above should be followed. In addition it should be ascertained promptly from the C.R.S. if he would like to inspect the site, etc. before the commencement of clearance and restoration work and then action should be taken in accordance with his wishes. Before clearance and restoration operations are commenced all relevant clues, materials and damages and the deficiencies on Rolling Stock, etc. must be noted and preserved. In other serious accidents, however, the same procedure as outlined in Clause  (iii) above should be strictly followed.  

(f) Contacting higher officials 

(g) Recording of details and advice regarding restoration time - He should arrange to record the details of the accident and prepare notes on any special features bearing on its cause, which may be of help in the enquiry. He should send by any means available and relay a concise report of the accident as per (Para 702) to the nearest Station Master to enable him to issue all concerned message.

(h) Preservation of clues - He should arrange to preserve all clues to enable reconstruction of the scene of the accident as detailed vide (Para 704 )

(1) Photographs showing the details of damage to Permanent Way and Rolling Stock at the site of accident should be taken wherever necessary; in case of suspected sabotage, the photographs of the site of the accident showing the damage and possible clues should invariably be taken.

(i) He should get in touch with the Divisional Engineer and the Controller / Chief Controller and furnish complete information advising the details of action being taken and the probable time for restoring through running.

(J) He should arrange to organize the measure for expeditious restoration of through running and ensure incessant working until this is effected. 

(K) A preliminary report should be prepared.