Challenges are Better met by a Healthy Workforce
The latest health and wellbeing research and tools showcased at the Rail Wellbeing Leaders' Summit
This year’s speakers focused on the importance of health and wellbeing and the work that the Rail Wellbeing Alliance (RWA) has undertaken in support of this. Speakers included Huw Merriman, Minister of State for Rail and HS2, and David Horne, Managing Director at London North Eastern Railway, RSSB board member and Chair of the Rail Wellbeing Alliance.
Employee and company health are measured in entirely different ways, but the health of your staff and that of your bottom line are directly linked. That was just one of the key messages to take away from the Rail Wellbeing Leaders’ Summit hosted by the RWA in April. One important enough for the Minister of State (for rail and HS2), Huw Merriman, to attend. The time has definitely come, when we consider health and safety, to put as much store in the health side of our businesses as it is in safety.
Sickness absence in our industry is nearly twice the national average. Just one reason to pay as much attention to health as safety is that, sadly, rail staff are more likely to commit suicide than die in a workplace accident. Among rail industry workers, the likelihood of a diagnosable mental health condition or a musculoskeletal disorder is significantly higher than that in other industries, and so is an increased risk of diabetes.
Thanks to the RWA’s collaboration with industry, several resources are available that are specific to the industry. In particular, the Rail Mental Health Charter. Organisations which sign up make a commitment to improving the mental wellbeing of their employees. The Health and Wellbeing Index helps to benchmark performance against other rail companies. And most recently, the development of the Rail Fatigue Charter will help manage this significant causal factor in far too many accidents and incidents. These are among the many resources available to improve both staff health and your bottom line.
At the summit, Huw Merriman talked of his own experience of managing mental health among a team that he led before becoming an MP. In the financial world, stress is a part of everyday life. In his role he made it okay to talk openly about mental health. He supported a fair and just culture, where having health issues could be talked and supported, not ignored and allowed to develop into more serious conditions. He pointed out that a mental health survey run by RSSB during the Covid-19 pandemic showed that more than one in three respondents (43%) met the criteria for a clinical mental health condition. That was 1.6 times higher than the general population at the time.
With that in mind, the minister mentioned a project developed by the Department for Transport around mental health specifically for the rail industry. Samaritans and Mental Health at Work have been commissioned to produce a recommendations and best practice report to provide a framework to support railway staff.
This industry is renowned for its commitment to safety in the workplace. This should not just mean safety from physical harm but creating a workplace which enhances and enriches mental health.
Beyond mental health, Dr Bridget Juniper, Chair of the Business Engagement and Measurement Group, gave her insights into the rail industry health data that we use, or don’t. That included the annual cost per employee of around £3,000, and the potential Year 1 savings that the industry could achieve of £10m. Of course, good decisions rely on good data, for which, testing of a performance management system is under way, and will run until June 2024. The value of benchmarking against other companies showed annual days lost per employee to range from 17.8 at the high end (at a cost of £4,711.77 per person) to just 2.6 at the lower end (at a cost of £685.81 per person). For access to the prototype index, please contact Lisa.Regan@rssb.co.uk.
Ben Groome, Operations Director and Tram Operations Limited, talked about the importance of good fatigue management practices, particularly in light of his experience with the Sandilands tram crash.
Jen Ablitt, Deputy Director Safety Strategy, Policy and Planning, Office of Rail and Road, highlighted their perspective on health issues, particularly of occupational hygiene, as it concerns legal compliance and risk management.
The future wellbeing of our people in the rail industry is so important. That’s why I was really enthused to be part of this summit, bringing together Government and leaders from across every part of the industry to make a very real difference.
So the take away from this summit might be to ask, are you doing enough to protect the health of your employees and, in these challenging and changing times, that of your bottom line?
