August 2024
Sheffield-based rail safety specialists, Zonegreen, are looking to expand their presence in Australia, after their flagship product received official government approval.
Zonegreen’s Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) has been validated by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) as complying with industry standards and safety regulations.
DPPS is already used by a number of rail depots in Australia to control the safe and efficient movement of vehicles. Staff working in areas of risk log on to the system via road end panels that operate Network Rail-approved derailers, physically preventing unexpected train movements, one of the biggest causes of major accidents in maintenance facilities.
Approval for DPPS was sought by Zonegreen’s Australian partner, Andrew Engineering, with whom they have worked on a number of projects, most recently at the Wulkuraka depot in Queensland. TfNSW is a key body in the development of safe, integrated and efficient transports systems and having its backing will open up more opportunities for the system to be installed not only in New South Wales, but also across the country.
Christian Fletcher, Zonegreen’s Head of Engineering said: “Having DPPS officially recognised as meeting the safety standards required by TfNSW is a fantastic endorsement of the product, our commitment to protecting depot staff and the relationship we have established with Andrew Engineering. Together, we have been providing Australian rail personnel with safer working conditions for more than a decade and we are excited to see where this latest development will take us.”
This is not the first time DPPS has received independent approval. It is already certified to meet both the hardware and software integrity requirements of SIL 2 – a reliability assessment of the relative risk reduction provided by a safety system. In addition, Zonegreen’s third generation RFID panel has been certified by Eurofins to be compliant with both the EN 300 330-V2.1.1 radio emissions standard and railway standard EN50128/50129.
Zonegreen is part of the Sentric Safety Group, which comprises a number of international brands who protect people working in safety-critical, high-risk environments.