Disaster Preventions in the Time of
Emergency and the Social Role and
Responsibility of the Railway Workers
East Japan Railway Workers
Union Planning Director
Akinori Yanagi
1
Damages by the Great East Japan Earthquake (Coastlines)
2
Damages by the Great East Japan Earthquake (Buildings)
3
14:46 March 11th 2011 Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake hits
Victims approximately 19,000
Fukushima accident still continues
【Damages in JR East Company Areas】
Dead JR East Company 5 persons
Affiliated Companies 7 persons
Still Missing 2 persons
More than 1,100 cases of total or partial destruction and
washed out houses
4
Damages of Railways (Shinkansen)
Tohoku
Shinkansen
SendaiFurukawa
5
Damages of Railways (Shinkansen)
Tohoku Shinkansen
Furukawa-Kurikoma
Kogen
6
Damages of Railways 7 local lines nearly total collapse
Ishinomaki Line
near Onagawa
Station
Ishinomaki
Line
7
Damages of Railways 7 local lines nearly total collapse
Yamada Line
Yamada Line
Rikuchuyamad
a
8
Damages of Railways 7 local lines nearly total collapse
Ofunato Line
RikuzenyahagiTakekoma
Ofutona Line
9
Damages of Railways 7 local lines nearly total collapse
Senseki Line
Senseki
Line
Nobiru
10
Damages of Railways
7 local lines and Shinkanse nearly total collapse
No victims on train in service, this is “Miracle”
Surveys to collect experiences from union members
Miracle was not made accidentally, it was made inevitally
Preparation in both software and hardware (education, training and manuals)
There were many situations beyond expectations of
education, training and manuals
⇒JR workers made appropriate decisions on sites
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Why did they make such decisions?
Why did they make such decisions?
We need to pass on the lessons learned from the
disaster to the next generations. It is important to
establish the philosophy of railway safety.
We carried out a survey to the union members who experienced
the earthquake.
Method: Survey 25% of total union members
・・・11,827 distributed and 11,207 returned
94.8%
Tape recorded ・・・54 members were tape
recorded
Free writing・・・
frommeasures,
about 500 members
This Presentation
talks about Opinions
anti-disaster
education and training for JR East workers who answered in
the survey.
12
1. After the Earthquake, it
was difficult to secure a way
of communication with the
control centre
13
After the earthquake, communication with the control centre was difficult
◇To secure a way of communication with the control centre
(Station, etc)
Drivers
8.9
24.5
50.1
運転職場
6.4
8.2
6.0
11.0
2.2
3.7
16.5
60.7
1.8
営業職場
Others
Sales
2
to
12
days
1
3
Not
Not on the day
Within
hours
Within
to
hours
Immediately
2
Facility （Railway
設備職場
0%
10%
20%
12.6
24.8
38.1
and electricity etc）
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
13.2
80%
3.5
7.9
90%
100%
The numbers were too low given the fact that the control centre is
responsible for the train in service and for evacuation.
With the damages beyond expectations, it was impossible to give
orders and know the damages at every worksites by the centre.
Communication had been down for more than 1 day. The important key is
how to secure the communication and to give a priority for decisions on site.
14
After the earthquake, communication with the control centre was difficult
◇Ways of obtaining information about earthquake and tsunami on the day of
80.0
earthquake
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
９７
７
．
30.0
３２
８
．
20.0
10.0
９２
３
．
４２
．
５５
．
Others
Wireless
info from
the local
govt
Internet
Radio
Company
Info
TV
0.0
２２
５
．
Company info was not enough, workers obtained info on their own way
It is important of how to obtain information reflecting modern
information society
2. Manuals were useless
at all
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2. Manuals were useless at all
◇Do you have “the manuals for a large scale earthquake”?
Others
Manuals were
not distributed
Received the
manuals but
unsure
whereabouts
Have manuals at
home
Always keep
them at hands
44.7
24.5
0.9
6.2
23.7
More than 70% do not have manuals at hands
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
◇How did you use the manuals when an earthquake hits?
49.4
29.2
Others
10.3
Did not know
them at all
Did not use
them at all
Did not use
them much
Used
Fully used
3.1
6.7
1.3
More than 80% do not use the manuals
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2. Manuals were useless at all
Education on earthquake manuals
7.6
42.1
Others
There was no
education
Lessons were
provided but did
not attend them
Had lessons but
understanding is
not enough
Had lessons
and understood
the content
clearly
19.6
1.5
29.2
More than 80% do not understand the content of education
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2. Manuals were useless at all
Education and training
Had education and understood 20%
Review of
Easy manuals
to understand
Easy to see
Useful manuals
Education has become a mere
formality
Listen to workers on site
No time for education on emergency
Busy worksites cannot have education
To nurture a teaching
professional
Talks needed to point out
problems and find out causes
Manuals were useless in time of emergency
Training to think independently
Training to know special conditions of each line
Impossible to know all dangerous
areas when a natural disaster occurs
Facility
To guarantee time for
education
Incredible cases occur
Practical education is
necessary to cope with
emergency
Trainings for fire, earthquake,
tsunami are necessary in
cooperation with a local
government
Making hazard maps of each area
Driver
・No education 40%
Practical drills anticipating all possible situations
・Had education 60%
Sales
In practice
Training on how to use emergency telephone
Ladder using evacuation drills
Communication with partner companies
2. Manuals were useless at all
Review of manuals, they were useless but they are necessary
Making manuals reflecting opinions of workers on site
Experience and thinking power, long experiences on field
Facility
Manuals for
rebuilding, not for
saving one’s life
Gathering information
Evacuate to a high ground when
tsunami warning is issued
Gathering information
Evacuate to a high ground when
tsunami warning is issued
A system does not impose responsibility on individuals even if the decision turns out wrong
Education has become a mere
formality
Evacuate to a high ground when
tsunami warning is issued
Not stopping in tunnel nor on bridge
Driver
No education done
Gathering information
A system giving priority for decisions on site
Don’t know the content of manuals
Broadcasting to passengers
Sales
Not carrying manuals
Unexpected situations can occur
Useless manuals
In case of emergency with no communication regarding one’s life
In Practice
Important
When
warning
issued
tsunami
Run to a
high ground
Not stopping
in tunnel
nor on bridge
No
individuals
forced
to be imposed
responsibility
20
3. When a disaster occurs,
evacuation procedures and
routes were not used
21
3. Evacuation procedures and sites when a disaster occurs
◇Evacuation procedures from a worksite when a disaster occurs
Others
Don’t know the
procedures
Procedures
were unclear
Procedures
were not clear
enough
Procedures were
clear
32.4
26.2
22.0
0.8
18.6
More than 70% do not understand the evacuation procedures
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
◇Evacuation sites from worksite when a disaster occurs
Others
25.2
Don’t know
Unclear
Not clear
enough
Clear enough
32.9
19.7
21.4
0.8
Nearly 70% were unsure about evacuation sites
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
3. Evacuation procedures and sites when a disaster occurs
◇Did you evacuate to an evacuation site from your worksite?
20%
2.2
30%
No answers
10%
13.0
Did not evacuate
because there
were no orders
0%
Did not
evacuate even
after orders
Evacuated
on my own
Evacuated
by order
18.0
7.0
59.8
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Workers at head office and branches were able to evacuate in group. Workers on site show lower tendency of
actual evacuation
◇Places like stations, there are many customers, we cannot guide them to
evacuate
◇We cannot evacuate first, leaving others behind
◇Some workers do not understand the evacuation sites
◇Tsunami hit evacuation sites so some sites were inappropriate for evacuation
◇When a train stops, in many cases, a driver does not know the local
situations and it is important of how to overcome the limitations of education
4. Actual voices that made
“Miracle” leading to Zero
victims
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4. A voice that made zero victims (A case at Ofunato)
Ofunato
Train stopped when
earthquake occured
○Info from the city about huge tsunami warning
○Local people were evacuating to a high ground
crossing the railway
Ichinoseki
Driver started to make
passengers prepare for
evacuation
Control Centre
Driver told them to evacuate
Ofunato elementary school
Ofunato
Elementary
Driver thought elementary school was
on lower ground and close to the sea,
they evacuated Ofunato Junior High
A local said Ofunato Junior high
was on a higher ground and safer
Ofunato
Junior
High
25
4. A voice that made zero victims (A case at Ofuna)
Control centre
Control centre ordered,
Ofunato elementary school
On site
Followed an opinion of a local,
evacuated to the junior high
This violates the order of the control centre
【Lesson learned】
・Control centre has limitations. Decisions on site are very important
This case resulted in success, but the opposite case could occur
◇The driver did not follow the order of control centre, so he might be
charged for ignoring the order
Even if it turns out a wrong decision, a system should be established
not to charge the responsibility of decisions on site
26
4. A voice that made zero victims (A case at Shinchi)
Shinchi station
Stopped at Shinchi, then a huge shock came
2 policemen on the train offered to help passengers
The driver returned to the station, but nobody was there
Control Centre
Policemen said tsunami warning was issued and
passengers were guided to a city office
Driver and conductor stayed and watched the train
500 meter away from the sea, never thought tsunami would come
Shinchi
City Hall
Then, tsunami came, no time to run away
Trains were washed
away
Lesson: Close doors
Ran to bridge
Stayed until morning on the bridge, no communication
with anyone listening to a radio all night
27
28
29
4. A voice that made zero victims (Hisanohama)
Huge Tsunami warning
Road
Control centre
Dangerous
area
Hisanohama Train stopped with emergency brake by
Yotsukura
driver
Driver saw huge tsunami warning on a display on
the road, this is not a normal situation
Passengers were panic
Ladders in the train were not strong enough to support passengers
No time to get passengers off from the train, all doors opened and
chairs were removed to use them as ladders. Elders were carried out
with hands on
3 policemen working on the road, helped
passengers off the train
Getting everyone off the
train completed in 10 to 15
mins
Driver confirmed nobody left
behind
Tsunami came in front of the road
A local guided passengers
to a high ground, they
went
to junior high, instead of 30
4. A voice that made zero victims (Hisanohama)
Huge tsunami warning
Road
Hisanohama Tsunami came in front of the road
Going to Hisanohama⇒Confirmed
passengers are on high ground.
The city was destroyed and they
helped injured people with firefighters
Emergency medical staff
requested to carry out first aids
with gauze
Instructed to wear protecting gloves,
Decided to carry out first aids
Fire in front of station, many injured people
were carried into Hisanohama station
Dangerous
area
Yotsukura
As long as I wear uniform of
JR East, I cannot run away
When I think of that
moment now, I still wonder
what should I do?
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5. Summary
1. Situations beyond expectations can occur
It is important to train workers who can decide on their own
and act independently
Control centre has limitations
To establish a system giving priority to decisions on site
A system needed not imposing responsibility on individuals even if the decisions turns out wrong
3. Education and training are necessary
Practical education using real equipment on site
Education aiming to nurture thinking power
4. To sharpen a sense of lessening damages
Researching all possible situations,
practical education and training.
Then what do you do?
On site power
Incredible power can be
exercised
5. Summary
◇Voices which fulfilled one’s own
responsibility
“Conquering worries and fears, I was able
to act calmly”
“With limited information, I acted with a
strong sense of responsibility, motivation
and commitment for my job”
“Judging my situations accurately, I make
instantly a decision to secure safety”
We regard this earthquake as a
lesson, we aim to nurture a railway
person who has a top priority for
respecting human beings as well as
philosophy of humanism
Thank you for your listening
East Japan Railway Workers
Union
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