A track worker killed by a passenger train in south London was on a zero-hours contract, probably fatigued, and left exposed to danger when a colleague failed to turn up for work, investigators have found. The man died when he was hit from behind at 69mph (111km/h) in Croydon, after midnight on 6 November last year.
Inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) discovered he was meant to be assisted by his brother that night. However, earlier that day his brother had called to say he was too tired to attend as he had been working as a delivery driver and asked him to forge a signature to say he was there. The investigation also found that the man who had died had only 3.5 hours sleep.
The RAIB found the use of staff on zero-hour contracts created conditions "in which it is difficult to manage fatigue effectively" nor “identify or prevented staff absenting themselves from work without being detected”