Pointing and calling
Principle
Pointing and calling is a method in occupational safety for avoiding mistakes by pointing at important indicators and verbally calling out their status. It is particularly common on Japanese railways, where it is referred to as shisa kanko (指差喚呼), shisa kakunin kanko (指差確認喚呼) or yubisashi koshō (指差呼称). Gesturing at and verbalizing these indicators helps with focus.
Pointing and calling requires co-action and co-reaction among the operator's brain, eyes, hands, mouth, and ears.
Signals validation
One of the elements where "pointing and calling" is used is for signal validation (in the case where we are not in ATC/ATACS). This is done when the train leaves or when we encounter the following sign:
When you encounter this sign, you must validate, via "pointing and calling", the next visible signal. This sign may contain an indicator specifying the nature of the next signal:
- Number : block signal (heisoku / 閉塞)
- 出 : starting signal (shuppatsu / 出発)
- 場 : home signal (jōnai / 場内)
- 中 : repeating signal (chūkei / 中継)
- 遠 : distance signal (enpō / 遠方)
When validating, you typically have to say the type of signal followed by the status of the signal (in addition to pointing it). And in the case of a block signal, you must also specify the block number.
Here is the Japanese pronunciation of the different signal statuses:
- Clear signal (green) : shinkō / 進行
- Reduced speed signal (yellow/green) : gensoku / 抑速
- Caution signal (yellow) : chūi / 注意
- Speed restriction signal (yellow/yellow) : keikai / 警戒
- Stop signal (red) : teishi / 停止
Which gives, for example:
- Start with green signal : Shuppatsu shinkō / 出発進行 / Proceeding departure
- Block N° 2 with yellow signal : Dai ni heisoku chūi / 第二閉塞注意 / Caution block N° 2
- Home with yellow/yellow signal : jōnai keikai / 場内警戒 / Speed restriction on home
When leaving, you must also first validate the closing of the doors by pointing to the light (once lit) and saying Tentō (点灯 / Lit).
Other examples and some additional information are available on suzu's guide : https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3098325611