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Signaller's Assessments

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Signaller's Assessments 19/08/2010 at 21:46 #1648
ozrail
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Can anyone tell me how Signaller's assessments are done while they're working a panel? I want to know how long they take and what kind of questions are asked. Also , who does the assessments and is it possible to fail one.
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Signaller's Assessments 19/08/2010 at 21:46 #10837
ozrail
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197 posts
Can anyone tell me how Signaller's assessments are done while they're working a panel? I want to know how long they take and what kind of questions are asked. Also , who does the assessments and is it possible to fail one.
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Signaller's Assessments 20/08/2010 at 07:56 #10843
GeoffM
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6376 posts
Can you elaborate slightly? There are, informally, four stages where assessment can take place:
1. Newbie, off the street, applying for a signaller position
2. Passed initial assessments and attending signalling school (tests every week whilst at school)
3. Passed signalling school (now a trained signaller), but now learning a specific geographic area
4. Qualified signaller on a specific area, being re-assessed.
You can fail at any time but what happens depends on what stage you're at.

SimSig Boss
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Signaller's Assessments 20/08/2010 at 09:10 #10846
ozrail
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Yes I mean re-assessment. When a Signaller is re-assessed while on a panel during the normal course of their shift. Before Signallers in Sydney Australia would have to go a training college a few times a year for re-assessment now there are plans to have them re-assessed during their normal signalling duties on a panel. I wanted to know how or if this is done in the UK.
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Signaller's Assessments 20/08/2010 at 11:37 #10850
GeoffM
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Ok, I'll leave that to the real signallers around here - I could have helped with #1 and #2 but not #3 or #4.
SimSig Boss
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Signaller's Assessments 20/08/2010 at 22:02 #10867
Woodhead Signalman
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As an ex real signalman I can remember how I was re-assessed whilst I was working a lever frame box. The DI (Divisional Inspector) would come round to the box with another signaller who took over the running of the box, whilst the DI took you (me) down the steps for a short walk down the line and quizzed me on Rule Book / Regulations etc. If you passed he would let you go back in the box straightaway, if not I don't know because I never failed lol. But that was how it was done way back. :cool:
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Signaller's Assessments 21/08/2010 at 17:29 #10875
NorthSig
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Now it is done by the signaller submitting evidence to their manager that a particular rule has been carried out. This evidence could be the forms completed during an incident. The manager might also listen to the voice tapes (all calls to and from the box are usually recorded these days) to assess the signaller if a particular event has occurred or certain rules carried out.
All applicable rules must be assessed every three years. If during that time a particular rule hasn't been carried out (eg actions to take if a SPAD occurs, actually a relatively rare event) then the signaller will need to attend a simulator session with their manager where these events can be simulated. Network Rail have simulators for lever frames, NX panels and IECC.
There's also a quarterly test on different rule book modules that is undertaken on a computer.

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Signaller's Assessments 21/08/2010 at 23:08 #10889
ozrail
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Thank you. The information has been very helpful. It's sounds like a much better system. Our re-assessments are more like an assessmnet. Each Signaller on panel will be assessed on every aspect of their duties and that does seem a little over-the-top.
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Signaller's Assessments 22/10/2010 at 00:44 #12090
digitalgraham
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There are actually various different types of assessment carried out now;

1 self generated evidence following an incident, failure etc
2 assesors can produce observational reports whilst the signaller is on duty
3 voice communications is monitored by managers downloading periodically (depending on grade of signaller) and assessed
4 rules and regs are re-assessed by a computer based system (Cognisco) which is on a 3yr cycle and every 13wks the signaller will be assessed on a given topic(s)
5 for the more obscure elements of the rules and regs (those which a signaller would not normally encounter i.e. dealing with bridge bashes or fatalities etc) then papaer based questions and answer sessions with the manager present

I hope this all makes some sense.

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