Safety roundup
Risks your safety director should be thinking about
Our three recommendations in June
This month we push the health message, focusing on musculoskeletal conditions. Depot safety and platform-train interface risk have also made the final cut for June, since there’s growing concern around how incidents in these environments can lead to the loss of life.
Unfortunately, the rate of incidents in depots have remained steady despite efforts to reduce them. Our data insights project has shown that, over the last 10 years, one life has been lost in a depot every two-and-a-half years. The fatal accident at Tyseley depot in December 2019 speaks volumes about the safety risk.
Our Depot Safety Insights report (2021) shows how incident numbers and consequences are increasing in depots. These insights will help safety directors decide how best to invest in safety improvements, so please pass it on to yours.
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There are around 3 billion platform-train interface (PTI) interactions a year and, in the context of this huge number, incidents are relatively low. But almost 50% of the total fatality risk on the mainline can be attributed to PTI events – that’s equivalent to nearly 13 deaths a year.
PTI incidents are often the result of passenger behaviour, as some commuters are unaware of the risks. PTI risk management must remain a priority for safety directors. For their colleagues interacting with passengers on the front line, honing their non-technical skills (NTS) will help reduce risk.
It’s been estimated that musculoskeletal problems account for 20% of GP consultations in the UK and up to 30% of work days lost. While these figures apply to the general population, we know that rail workers, such as train drivers, are particularly susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
As reported in the first issue of Horizon, sickness absence costs rail companies a lot of money. Through our interactions with colleagues across the industry we know that rail companies care about staff wellbeing as well as their bottom line. So ask your safety director if more can be done to assess and manage MSDs.