Railways combine some of the most challenging conditions including remote locations, high-voltage power supplies, fast-moving heavy vehicles, flammable substances including fuel, oil and hazardous cargo, and the presence of human engineers on routes in active use.
With the additional risk of trespass by members of the public or wildlife, this creates a demand for safety equipment that is not seen in the same way in any other setting.
Cable Systems have worked with rail engineering companies since 1982 to mitigate risks and to supply hazardous area equipment suitable for long-term use in exposed and harsh environments.
Hazardous areas exist in and around railways, particularly where materials such as fuel and flammable cargo are stored.
Freight trains represent an ever-changing risk depending on what they carry, and this is compounded by the fact that they move at speed – literally creating a hazardous area on wheels.
Because of this, many of the tools and electrical infrastructure used on railways need to adopt an abundance of caution, with ex enclosures as standard, to prepare as standard for the highest level of risk that might be encountered.
As well as the cargo moved by rail, the tracks themselves can create challenges due to their location, which may be remote, exposed to extreme weather, and might not have a reliable mains power supply.
For example, Cable Systems supply pneumatic horns, capable of sounding the alarm in the presence of an approaching train, and operated by compressed air rather than by electricity.
Challenging environments require a novel approach to product design. With this and other solutions in our rail portfolio, Cable Systems help engineering companies and rail infrastructure operators to face that challenge, while eliminating avoidable safety risks.
