A National or Network block is a restriction that prevents a Rail Industry Worker (RIW) from working on a Network Operator’s rail network or multiple rail networks. 

This can be at two levels in the system:

• At a National level, which impacts all projects, sites and zones on all RIW participating rail networks, or
• At a Network level, which includes all projects, sites and zones on a specific RIW participating network only. 

National Block

When a block is placed on an individual at the RIW Program level, this will exclude them from working on all Network Operator rail networks. Examples of why a National block might be placed include fraud, or where a serious safety incident occurs and the Network Operator believes it should be escalated to the National Rail Industry Worker Operations Committee for consideration. These types of incidents would be categorised under the Rail Safety National Law as a Category A – Notifiable Occurrence.

In the RIW System, the following will occur when a National Block is placed on an RIW Cardholder:

Below is an example of a how a job role in the RIW System will be noted with a national block.  All job roles will be blocked and as such, the job roles are invalid for swiping/accessing all RIW participating work sites nationally.

The RIW cardholder will be denied swipe access to all projects, sites and zones nationally.  In the RIW System, administrators will see a banner message Blocks exist for this person on the profile summary screen. 

If an Access Controller attempts to swipe the cardholder into a work site, they will receive a message advising that the block exists for this cardholder.  The Access Controller cannot override this block, thus not permit the cardholder on site.

In myRIW, the cardholder will receive a visual prompt that a block exists.

A video summary of how National Blocks work is available here.

Network Block

Network Operators reserve the right to remove and block any cardholder from their Network as a result of any type of breach, incident or accident, in accordance with their own rules and procedures. This could impact a cardholders ability to work in other Network Operator jurisdictions, depending on the severity of the breach, and/or the number of times a cardholder has been found to have been in breach.

Where a cardholder has been identified as contributory to an incident, this may result in a suspension or block of the cardholder from carrying out rail safety work.

When a block is placed by the Network Operator, the block only prevents the cardholder from working on the Network where the block was placed. Other Networks are responsible for assessing the risks of working with blocked cardholders, and may refuse the blocked cardholder entry to their Network/site until they can determine why the cardholder was previously blocked at the different network location.

A Network Block may be placed on a cardholders profile in the following situations:

• Failure to comply with the Network Operator’s Drug and Alcohol Management Program; or 
• Serious/Critical Safety Breach; or
• Other valid reason as determined by the Network Operator.

These types of incidents are categorised under the Rail Safety National Law as a Category A – Notifiable Occurrence. For more information about notifiable occurrences, please visit the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator website.

If a block has been placed on an RIW Cardholder's profile due to a failed Drug & Alcohol result, and a network has a remediation process and policy, this block can be removed by the specific network by the appropriate network representative.  Please refer to the following:  What is a block resulting from a medically recorded drug or alcohol failure?

In the RIW System, the following will occur when a Network Block is placed on an RIW Cardholder

Below is an example of a how a job role in the RIW System will be noted with a network block.  This advises that the job role cannot be used to swipe/access a work site on the network that the job role is for.  In this example the cardholder will not be able to swipe/access any worksites under the Queensland Rail network.

Network blocks can be placed by a nominated representative of the Network Operator.  This representative is also authorised to remove a network block on their network.

The RIW Service Desk can place/remove a network block on receipt of an instruction from a nominated network operator representative.

The RIW Cardholder will be denied swipe access to the network sites.  In the RIW System, administrators will see a banner message Blocks exist for this person on the profile summary screen. 

Access Controllers will receive a message that a network block exists for the cardholder if attempting to swipe the cardholder onto a blocked network site.  The Access Controller cannot override the message to allow access to the blocked network site.

In myRIW, the cardholder will receive a visual prompt that a block exists.

A video summary of how Network Blocks work is available here.

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000029931

A suspension is the temporary removal of a cardholders job role or competency. There are two types and levels of suspension:

Job role suspension is the temporary removal of a cardholders job role. 

• National Role/Network Operator specific – suspended from specific work site/s in a specific capacity, or 
• Employer based specific – suspended from a specific work site/s in a specific capacity.

Competency suspension is the temporary removal of a cardholders competency or unit of competence.

• Network Operators can suspend/restore National and Network competencies, or
• Premium Functionality Employer can suspend/restore Employer based competencies.

Employer 

Premium Functionality Employers have the ability to create their own individual job roles and competencies to manage their workforce (refer to our articles How does a Premium Functionality Employer create an employer based job role? and How does a Premium Functionality Employer create an employer based competency?).

As such, Premium Functionality Employers reserve the right to suspend, modify or reinstate a Rail Industry Worker’s site specific role or competency.              

This could be placed for any of the following reasons:

• Overstaying fatigue limits
• Safe working breach
• Rail Industry Worker is carrying out any work in an unsafe or unsatisfactory manner
• Infringement of any safety rule or regulation
• A person is performing work for which he/she is not suitably qualified
• A person is guilty of misconduct
• A person has a non-negative alcohol or drug result
• It is considered that the person is unsuitable to work in the vicinity of railway tracks or any of the equipment associated therewith, including not holding the necessary certification or licences required
• Other valid reason as determined by the owner of the employer job role or competency.

Note: If a Rail Industry Worker is involved in a serious safety breach (including drug and alcohol), or the Employer believes that the Rail Industry Worker should be blocked for other reasons, the Contractor in Charge or the Employer should notify the relevant Network Operator to request that a Network block be placed on the Rail Industry Worker. The Network Operator will then determine whether a Network block is required.

Related articles:

• What is an Employer based job role or competency suspension?
• Video - Assigning / Suspending Job Roles
• Video - Assigning / Suspending Competencies

RIW Knowledge Centre Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000029935

Where a drug and alcohol (D&A) test comes back as confirmed positive (fail), the RIW System will automatically place a block on all networks for the Rail Industry Worker.

Placement of the block

A block is immediately placed on the Rail Industry Worker on all networks when a positive D&A result is uploaded by an AHP in the RIW System, or by the RIW Service Desk upon the receipt and processing of the rail health (medical) assessment, drug or alcohol test or confirmatory alcohol test (post non-negative Breathalyser test record).

In the RIW System, the following block behaviours will occur when the restriction is placed on the cardholder:

Below is an example of a how a job role in the RIW System will display when a positive D&A result block has been applied. This advises that the job role cannot be used to swipe/access a work site on the network.

The RIW cardholder will be denied swipe access to work sites, nationally.  In the RIW System, users will see a banner message Blocks exist for this person on the profile summary screen. 

Access Controllers will receive a message that a network block exists for the cardholder if attempting to swipe the cardholder on to the work site.  The Access Controller cannot override the message to allow access to the blocked network site.

In myRIW, the cardholder will receive a visual prompt that a block exists.

Network management of failed D&A blocks

While these blocks are placed on each Network Operator nationally by system default, if any of the Network Operators have a rehabilitation mechanism or policy to support lifting the block on their Network, the Network Operator can lift the block for their Network only; meaning the block remains for all other Network Operators.

Authorised Network Representatives have permission to lift a Network Block placed on a cardholder's profile. Alternatively, the authorised Network Representative can contact the RIW Service Desk to lift the block on their network.

Even though the network block has been lifted for their network, RIW System Users will continue to see a banner message Blocks exist for this person on the profile summary screen. This represents the block still exists for other networks.

Access Controllers for the network that has lifted this block will receive a warning message that a network block exists for the cardholder when swiping on to a site. This is to advise that a block exists for other networks, however, will not deny access to the network where the block has been lifted.

In myRIW, the cardholder will receive a visual prompt that a block exists.

NOTE: At any future point, an AHP can record a negative D&A result (pass), however, this does not automatically lift any previously applied Network blocks, leaving this control to the relevant Network Operator.

Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000029940

A site block is automatically placed on a cardholders profile if the cardholder blows a non-negative result on a site associated Breathalyser device. 

Site blocks can only be removed by an Employer, Project or Site Administrator following the result of a second confirmatory test, and where the second confirmatory test records as negative.  If the second confirmatory test results in a confirmed positive, then a Network Operator block will be placed.

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000030139

A site block will be placed on a Rail Industry Worker when a breathalyser test on a breathalyser device connected to the RIW System identifies a non-negative result. This prevents the worker from being swiped onto site.

Immediately after the RIW System records the site block, an email is sent to the designated site contact informing them that a non-negative result has been recorded. The email serves as a trigger for the designated site contact to initiate a second confirmatory test, as per local requirements.

If the confirmatory test returns a negative result, the site block can be removed from the Rail Industry Worker's profile, which allows the worker  to be swiped onto site. 

If the confirmatory test comes back as confirmed positive, the designated site contact must notify the relevant Network Operator and a Network block is placed on the cardholder.

Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000034213

The RIW Program Rules provide RIW participant organisations and end users with greater understanding of the rules that govern the RIW Program.

For information regarding how blocks and suspensions are governed in the RIW Program, please refer to the RIW Program Rules for Blocks & Suspensions.

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000120020