Grobogan - The Baperka Team through the Directorate General of Railways took part in the Sawana Railway Crew (ASP) skill certification. This is done as an effort to increase the competence of human resources for maintenance of railway facilities, as well as in order to improve the safety of the railway sector.

The Head of the Railway Care Center through the Head of the Heavy Care Section for Udut Pangihutan Sinaga said the certification activity was a form of Balai's efforts as part of the government in improving the safety of the railway sector.

"The target set for the Baperka team participants is that all of them pass the certification, this is to maintain the mandate in the field of railway management safety, and later enrich competence to support the task of maintaining railway facilities," said Udut when opening the agenda in the Meeting Room CC 300 Ngrombo Workshop, Grobogan, Monday (3/4/2023).

The rules for ASP to obtain a certificate are contained in the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia Number PM 4 of 2017 concerning Certification of Proficiency in Railway Facility Crews.

In the PM above, the definition of ASP itself is a person who is assigned to the train by the operator of the railway facilities during the train journey. Meanwhile, article 3 regulates ASPs who are required to have a certificate of proficiency to operate railway facilities issued by the Director General of Railways.

Certification activities are carried out by the Railway Testing Center team, as a professional certification body. The Railway Testing Center team evaluates ASP certification participants through appointed professional assessors. The activity was held at the Ngrombo Railway Maintenance Center Workshop for three days.

On this occasion, the Railway Maintenance Center facilitated this activity, for the provision of railway facilities and infrastructure in ASP certification activities.

Muhardono as the Assessor of the Railway Testing Center during the activity gave an explanation, the implementation of the ASP certification assessment at the Railway Maintenance Center is part of a series of ASP certification activities initiated by the Directorate General of Railways.

"Certificate of competence for the crew of the railroad facilities aims to ensure safe operation of the train, we assess for ASP candidates, they must obtain a smart card, must go through several stages, the operator or regulator chooses someone for the railroad service, must be someone who is competent, must go through the stages , so it is considered and permissible to bring railroad facilities, because later they will bring material or state assets that are expensive besides carrying passengers and goods," explained Muhardono.

In particular, the ASP certification assessment agenda was also attended by the Personnel Section of the Secretariat of the Directorate General of Railways, considering that this certification activity was the first time carried out for employees within the Directorate General of Railways.

The certification activity was attended by twenty four participants from various work units within the Directorate General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation. During observations during field reporting, participants were divided into two groups for the effectiveness of the assessment. In Permenhub Number PM 4 of 2017, it is stated that there are four stages of the ASP proficiency test, consisting of theory test, practice test and/or cross recognition test, interview test and medical test.

In practice, with effective time the first group and the second group carried out theoretical tests, interviews and medical tests in parallel at the same time. Only in the practical test is carried out sequentially with the direct monitoring of the assessor.

All aspects are considered by the Assessor in conducting an objective assessment. "As assessors we see it from the point of view, seriousness, discipline, including knowledge, where they must be able to master a minimum of regulations, when carrying out train operations on cross-rail lines, if they cannot master both rules and technical, as well as component functions at the consul, the service desk in the driver's cabin, they will be nervous, and they will lose knowledge, it will endanger the operation of the railroad facilities," explained Muhardono, sharing his views as an assessor in assessing ASP certification participants.

During the activity, all participants in the ASP skills certification test and the Railway Testing Center team were seen to comply with OHS as long as they were in the Ngrombo Workshop environment.

In the practical test phase, the assessment team used an inspection train as a railroad facility to see the level of mastery of the certification participants in terms of operating the railroad facilities.

The participants carried out their duties properly as Railway Facility Crews, each of them practicing the theory learned while undergoing training at some time prior to the assessment agenda.

The parameters used in the assessment are in accordance with the rules of operating railroad facilities, starting from mastery of the train motto, the code of ethics when operating railroad facilities, to technical factors in operating railroad facilities, including knowledge of the control functions in the facility's wheelhouse.

The sound of the horn of the railroad facilities was repeatedly heard during the practice test activities. Its implementation is on railroad crossings in the Railway Care Center emplacement. Normatively, the sound of a horn is heard when a railway facility is about to start from a stop position, or when it encounters a slogan on the railroad tracks or other operating slogans.

Practical test participants are required to master other function indicators such as lights, wiper functions, and other operating parameters, "practice must be really careful, one thing that must be mastered, the functions of equipment or handles or related matters in the driver's cabin , how to brake, control the deadman pedal, operate the lights, wipers, those are the requirements as a Go-No Go item, the means to be allowed to operate while walking, "explained Muhardono as he passed between control rooms one and two of the Inspection Car, in between activities assessing the practical test participants.

Each participant is given the opportunity to operate the inspection train for a short and limited distance, sufficient for the assessor to assess each participant's abilities.

Muhardono really emphasized discipline which is the main factor in becoming an ASP. Discipline in various matters, starting from being punctual, complying with procedures, knowing knowledge about the operation of railroad facilities and being disciplined in regulations. "As our assessors see from the first point of seriousness, their discipline, including knowledge, they must master, at least master the service regulations, when they are carrying out railroad operations on railroad crossings," said Muhardono.

So that the activities carried out by the participants at the control table of the inspection train can be captured by the assessor sufficiently and completely. Starting from the initial preparations that must be made by the ASP before operating the steering lever of the railway facilities, checking the function indicators of the facilities through a physical visual display must be ensured to function, because what is being done is related to the control of a transportation means.

The practice test activities at the railroad inspection train facilities did not experience any problems and ran smoothly, with the support of sunny weather. So that the crossing is safer for railroad facilities to pass, with the aim of still prioritizing safety in every transportation activity.

For information, the Ngrombo Workshop has eight railroad tracks. Four of them are connected in the room of the workshop building for the maintenance of the railway facilities, and the other four extend straight to the east side of the workshop building to the end of the badug spoor close to the entrance to the Railway Maintenance Center area. The indoor facility is located in an enclosed building with four parallel rail lines (spoors). Between the inside of the building and the outside lane there is an open washing area. Where from this point the participants were asked to run the inspection train, go straight over the third rail line, heading south, through the curved line turning west, continuing to stop at a point beside the eighth rail line which is connected to the connecting door of the railroad tracks highway. (yogo)