PTS - Personal Track Safety Sentinel Scheme and Fitness Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A COSS attempts to verify a team member's Sentinel card using the app, but the check returns a "Denied - Competence Expired" status. What is the only correct course of action?
- Allow the person to work for the day but instruct them to renew their competence immediately.
- Ask the person to show their paper-based certificate as an alternative proof of competence.
- Deny the individual access to the site and inform their sponsor and your responsible manager. (Correct answer)
- Let the individual work but restrict their duties to a position of safety away from the track.
Correct answer: Deny the individual access to the site and inform their sponsor and your responsible manager.
The Sentinel system provides a real-time 'Authority to Work'. A "Denied" status for an expired competence means the individual is not currently certified as safe to be on or near the line. The only correct action is to refuse them entry to the site and report the issue through the proper channels (their sponsor and your manager) so it can be rectified.
Question 2: According to Network Rail's policy on fatigue management (NR/L2/OHS/003), what is the general maximum 'door-to-door' time an individual should spend travelling to, working, and travelling from a site in a single shift?
- 12 hours (Correct answer)
- 14 hours
- 10 hours
- 16 hours, but only with specific management approval
Correct answer: 12 hours
Network Rail standard NR/L2/OHS/003 is designed to manage fatigue. The standard generally limits total time, including travel to and from the worksite (door-to-door), to 12 hours. While a 14-hour total is sometimes mentioned as an absolute maximum limit that requires risk assessment, the standard expectation for a planned shift is 12 hours to prevent fatigue-related incidents.
Question 3: Which of the following is the primary purpose of the Sentinel smart card system?
- To record an individual's working hours for payment and payroll purposes.
- To act as a photo ID for gaining general access to railway depots and offices.
- To serve as an electronic key for accessing restricted trackside cabinets and equipment.
- To verify an individual's identity, current competences, and medical and D&A fitness to work. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: To verify an individual's identity, current competences, and medical and D&A fitness to work.
The Sentinel card is a critical safety system that provides a real-time check of an individual's credentials. Its core function is to allow a COSS or site manager to confirm that the person is who they say they are and that their safety-critical competences, medical certificate, and drugs & alcohol status are all valid and up-to-date before they are allowed on or near the line.
Question 4: A PTS holder starts a new prescribed medication that their doctor warns may cause drowsiness. What is the individual's mandatory first action before their next shift?
- Inform their COSS on arrival at the site and let them decide if it's safe to work.
- Declare the medication to their sponsor and Network Rail's appointed medical service for assessment. (Correct answer)
- Take a smaller dose of the medication before the shift to reduce potential side effects.
- Do not mention it unless they begin to feel drowsy during the shift.
Correct answer: Declare the medication to their sponsor and Network Rail's appointed medical service for assessment.
Any medication, prescribed or over-the-counter, that could affect safety performance must be formally declared. The individual must inform their sponsor and seek guidance from the approved occupational health service (e.g., Medication Enquiry Line) to have their fitness for duty formally assessed before reporting for work. It is not the COSS's role to make a medical determination on site.
Question 5: What is a mandatory action a Controller of Site Safety (COSS) must perform with every member of their workgroup at the start of each shift?
- Collect a photocopy of each person's Sentinel card for the site records.
- Ask each person to verbally state their competences and expiry dates.
- Ensure everyone has signed a paper-based site attendance register.
- Authenticate each individual's Sentinel card using an approved device or the Sentinel app. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Authenticate each individual's Sentinel card using an approved device or the Sentinel app.
A primary responsibility of the COSS is to verify that every person in their workgroup is competent and fit to be there. This must be done by electronically checking each person's Sentinel card against the central database using an approved method, such as the Sentinel app on a smartphone, to get a real-time status check.
Question 6: Which of the following statements accurately reflects Network Rail's Drugs and Alcohol (D&A) policy?
- There is a zero-tolerance approach, and a positive test or refusal to be tested will result in removal from site and a 5-year suspension. (Correct answer)
- Random D&A testing is only conducted if there is a specific suspicion of substance use.
- A small amount of alcohol is permitted if consumed more than 8 hours before a shift begins.
- Only illegal drugs are prohibited; all prescribed medications are automatically permitted without declaration.
Correct answer: There is a zero-tolerance approach, and a positive test or refusal to be tested will result in removal from site and a 5-year suspension.
Network Rail enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol to ensure safety. Any breach, including testing positive or refusing a test, results in immediate removal from the infrastructure, a minimum 5-year ban recorded on Sentinel, and disciplinary action by the sponsor. Testing can be done randomly, for cause, or post-incident.
PTS - Personal Track Safety Sentinel Scheme and Fitness Questions and Answers
A COSS attempts to verify a team member's Sentinel card using the app, but the check returns a "Denied - Competence Expired" status.
What is the only correct course of action?