Just Appalling
Just over two years ago, four rail workers died in an accident at Tebay, when they were run down by a runaway wagon. The head of a maintenance firm has just been convicted of manslaughter.
Opening the case for the crown, Robert Smith QC told the panel of six men and six women that Connolly was "grossly negligent" in his actions.He said Connolly, who ran MAC Machinery Services, had "scant regard" for railway safety and had deliberately disconnected the hydraulic brakes on two wagons.
He had dismantled the brakes for "financial gain" because it was cheaper than repairing the wagons properly.
Connolly's firm was subcontracted to work for the rail maintenance company Carillion, which was working with Network Rail.
He had driven a low-loader truck with a railway crane and two wagons to Scout Green in Cumbria to lift ageing track from the west coast mainline on to railway wagons.
Shortly before 6am on February 15 2004, Kennett began using the large crane - known as a road rail vehicle - to lift lengths of steel on to the wagons. While he worked, Connolly slept in the back of his lorry.
Connolly had deliberately disconnected the brakes on the two wagons because both the hydraulic systems were in such a bad way they would not work properly in conjunction with the crane.
He then filled the cables connecting the wagons to the crane - usually full of hydraulic brake fluid - with ball bearings, giving the impression to an onlooker that everything was above board.
This is simply appalling. I hope the judge throws the book at him when it comes to sentencing.
But it goes further than that. It's a terrible indictment of the way the railway industry has been fragmented that cowboys like Connolly are allowed to get anywhere near the tracks or anything else. This is like something out of the 1840s, when life was cheap.
I hope the buck goes further up the food chain than Connolly. Not that he deserves to be let off the hook, buy how did his awful little cowboy outfit get to perform work for the railway in the first place? While I would guess there's little prospect of further criminal prosecutions, heads need to roll at Carillion, at least.
Posted by TimHall at March 16, 2006 08:59 PM | TrackBackYep, I agree on both counts. Manslaughter due to Criminal Negligence seems an appropriate description to me and a severe sentance is appropriate, but this buck also needs to pass at least one level higher.
Somebody must have passed this chap as being fit to work on the railway. Whoever did so needs transfering to a less safety critical role and perhaps that person's manager should consider his or her position.
Posted by: Michael Orton on March 17, 2006 12:15 PMNews update: the boss got nine years and the crane operator two. I think I'd have given the boss longer, something closer to what one might actually serve for murder, but I'm happy with just two for the unqualified crane operator. He should not have been placed in that position.
Posted by: Michael Orton on March 17, 2006 04:49 PMMy uncle was one of the men who paid with his life for the shoddy vetting procedures of contractors on the railway. I attended parts of the court hearing and was shocked by the revelations about Mr Connolley's business conducts. I agree that it may be understandable that the Crane Driver thought he was qualified, as he was lead to believe he had been assessed, however, to me it seemed clear that he was aware the brakes had been tampered with - otherwise why need the chocks?
9 years is nothing in comparison to the price the families of/and the actual hard working honest men have paid. They went to work on a cold February Sunday Morning, when most people would prefer to be in bed, and were repaid by the railway for there loyalty by being put to work on a track with dodgers and cowboys.
However, I agree that there were questions at the trial I felt were left unanswered - what about the guy who guided the trucks onto the track with the crane driver? When the trailers were shunted - did he not notice the breaks hadn't locked? From my understanding he was the person responsible for H&S on the site that night - and therefore should have been answerable to cause of these mens deaths.
Nothing will ever bring back my Uncle Gary, whom was loved very much, but hopefully now that a successful case of manslaughter has been brought - such laxidaisical approaches to H&S will change - though speaking to those still on the railway it seems doubtful.
Posted by: Eleannor Tindall on May 1, 2006 03:49 PM