The safety and security of customers and staff are of utmost importance to Eurotunnel. The Group’s performance in these areas is remarkable. No system is infallible however and we have to move forward all the time.
A daily priority for customers and staff
Rail transport operations are among the most rigorous for safety procedures. With its road-rail interface and 50 kms of partly submerged Tunnel, Eurotunnel’s safety measures are even more essential. For over 13 years, the company has been successfully striving to ensure the highest level of safety for customers andstaff.
Eurotunnel’s performance in terms of safety is among the best on record: on average, there has been only one collective safety incident (i.e. involving more than one person) per approximately 6,000 crossings. The consequences are nearly always minor, even if they can be disruptive to customers, as they often involve unexpected delays.
Bi-national safety exercise
In January 2008, as every year, Eurotunnel and the national authorities organised a vast simulation safety exercise called Binat (as in “bi-national”).This is designed to test the response and coordination of emergency services in the event of an incident inside the Channel Tunnel, simulating extreme situations and demandingevents. This exercise, the 12th of its size carried out since 1994, involved nearly 300 Red Cross workers, dozens of referees and observers, French and British emergency services(fire, ambulance and police), government representatives, four Eurotunnel Shuttles and six coaches.
Regular exercises of this type are an important element of Eurotunnel’s safety policy. Maintaining a high state of preparedness is a fundamental priority for the Group.The training exercise, meant closing the Tunnel for several hours and cost more than €120,000 in lost revenue.
Preventing risks at work
Eurotunnel prioritises the safety of everyone working its sites, regardless of role or activity, whether employees, temporary staff or sub-contractors.When it comes to safety at work, Eurotunnel’s objective is to minimise the possibility of accidents by establishing effective prevention and protection systems.
At the start of 2007, a detailed analysis was made of safety management in the company. The report confirmed that there is a very satisfactory level of safety management overall. Throughout the year, extensive training was provided to promote good safety practices and emphasise the importance team leaders in achieving this.
In the maintenance workshops, a variety of new measures significantly reduced the number of falls and improved working conditions through better ergonomics. The rate of accidents causing a person to stop work at Eurotunnel (6.7) was thereby improved and this figure remains below average for the rail industry. The rate for external companies working onEurotunnel sites is stable at 10.4.
In 2008, Eurotunnel is continuing its efforts to raise awareness and provide training to its employees, especially its Rolling Stock maintenance technicians. Specific prevention actions among external companies will also be reinforced in order to further reduce the accident rate among employees.
The gighest level of security combined with optimum traffic flow
Under the Concession agreement, Eurotunnel is required to provide the two governments with the means to enforce their national duties in terms of security. In this area, the company has always exceeded its contractual obligations. For example, in 2007, it acquired new monitoring systems (including Euroscan and CCTV) to maintain and even increase the high level of security for both passengers and goods transported. In addition, Eurotunnel remains under pressure from incursions by illegal immigrants, whose numbers are again increasing in the Calais area.
Determined to remain one of the most secure transport systems in the world, Eurotunnel has reinforced security measures at its operating sites in Folkestone and Shakespeare Cliff. These locations are now equipped with new access control and videosurveillance systems based on the latest cutting-edge technologies.
Other major projects, which at this stage must remain confidential, are now being discussed with the UK authorities. Eurotunnel will continue to work closely with the latter on a partnership basis, by proposing relevant projects that are consistent with the company’s objectives.
In France, a new Euroscan system was commissioned in July. This imposing X-Ray device is used by the Authorities to detect weapons or explosives in trucks, by scanning theircargo. This new system is more effective – attested by several record finds of prohibited products. It can also check as many as 35 trucks an hour, twice as many as the original prototype which is now obsolete after 13 years of use. French Customs financed €1.7 million out of the total €2.5 million project cost.
A growing number of attempted intrusions
In 2007, Eurotunnel still faced the problem of a growing number of people in the Calais area attempting to cross the border illegally to the UK. Last year,the company had to repel 3,568 intrusion attempts at its site, an increase of 49% compared with 2006. The individuals intercepted are handed over to the authorities and, in the event that they have caused damage (material damage, loss of business), Eurotunnel files for compensation in the courts.
Eurotunnel provides hauliers with ultra-modern control systems once the trucks arrive at the departure terminals. All vehicles are scanned via a passive millimetre wave (PMMW)check. With the consent of the driver, trucks can also be inspected visually and carbon dioxide levels measured in the trailer. These checks have shown themselves to be highly effective, and help preventing Eurotunnel customers from paying heavy fi nes in the event any clandestine passengers are discovered after the border is crossed.
Eurotunnel is seriously considering further improvements to existing security equipment on the French sites (access control system, video-surveillance, infrared barrier, anti intrusion devices, etc.). It aims to leverage from advances in new technologies, but without going beyond its contractual commitments and taking on responsibilities that fallto governments. This principle was the very foundation of the action taken before the ad hoc international arbitration court sitting in The Hague on 17 December 2003, the so-called «Sangatte dispute». Negotiations were started with a view to reaching an out-of-court settlement to compensate the damages sustained by Eurotunnel.
Fighting the spread of foot-and-mouth disease
In 2007, isolated cases of foot-and-mouth disease were discovered in Britain in early August. In accordance with measures recommended by the European Commission, Eurotunnel installed at the Folkestone terminal systems to disinfect the wheels of vehicles, at the request of the competent UK and French authorities. The company funded these temporary facilities alone.