Pointing and calling
[Image:Train Driver in Japan Pointing.jpg|thumb|right|Train driver pointing]
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 especially common on Japanese railways, where it is referred to as shisa kanko, shisa kakunin kanko or yubisashi koshō ; in Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese railways, where it is called s=指差呼唤; and in Indonesian railways, where it is known as tunjuk-sebut. Gesturing at and verbalizing these indicators helps with focus. The method was first used by train drivers and is now commonly used in Japanese industry. It is recommended by the, and a part of railway management regulations in China. It is not common outside of Asia, though it is used in the New [York City Subway] system, Toronto's subway and GO Transit, and many systems built to Chinese standards, such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.
History
The method originated in Japan in the early 1900s, when steam locomotives predominated. Drivers and boilermen would both look out for signals and call out their status to each other. The pointing was added a few decades later.Asia
The method is widely used in Asian countries, especially in dangerous works such as elevator maintenance and railway operations. The Chinese variant became much more complex including pointing and caution.The method is also widely used in Taiwan by the Taiwan High Speed Rail, Taiwan Railways Administration, on the one-person operated high-capacity lines of the Taipei Metro, Kaohsiung Metro and Taoyuan Airport MRT, and since 2014, also on the Taipei Joint Bus System.
The method is also used in Indonesia by national rail operator Kereta Api Indonesia and its subsidiary following the company's reform in 2015, and also by newer regional rail operators such as Jakarta MRT and Jakarta LRT.
New York City
In the New York City Subway, before opening the train doors, subway conductors are required to point to a black-and-white striped board located opposite of the conductor's window every time when a train pulls into a station. The boards are located at the middle of the platform such that when the conductor can see the sign, both ends of the train have reached the platform and it is safe to open the train doors. The procedure was implemented in 1996 after a series of incidents where doors opened in the tunnel. The procedure shows that the conductor is paying attention. If the conductor cannot see the striped board, they are not permitted to open the doors.Toronto
In the Toronto subway, before opening the train doors, subway guards are required to point to a green triangle installed on the platform wall opposite of the conductor's window every time when a train pulls into a station. The procedure was implemented after a series of incidents where conductors opened the doors on the wrong side of the train. The procedure is used to focus the conductor's attention.Streetcar operators are required to confirm track switch alignments by stopping at a switch, pointing to the switch with their index finger, and then proceeding. This is done to focus the operator's attention to ensure that the streetcar does not go to a different route.
GO Transit adopted the practice in March 2021. Upon entering a station, but before opening the doors, the Customer Service Ambassador is required to point towards both ends of the train and announce that the platform is clear as a way to confirm that the train is stopped properly. After the CSA closes the doors, the same process is repeated to confirm that nobody is caught in the doors. According to Metrolinx, incorporating the pointing and calling procedure within GO Transit's daily operations is an important way to enhance safety, "especially as the transit agency gets ready to launch the largest expansion of GO service in its history".