Promising stats in this year’s AHSR
Our Annual Health and Safety Report for 2023/24 shows the strides made in GB rail’s health and safety performance.
Greg Morse RHSS Editor and Operational Feedback Lead
In many areas, the statistics in this year’s Annual Health and Safety Report (AHSR) look good. There were no passenger or workforce fatalities in train accidents, and there were no workforce fatalities elsewhere on the network.
But every fatality is a tragedy, and there were 14 accidental fatalities last year. So, we need to remain vigilant, and we need to continue working together to tackle the risks and seek solutions.
Here are 14 stats in the AHSR that you need to know about:
For the first time since 2015/16, there were no workforce fatalities. However, the number of injuries to staff on or about the running line has increased.
Near misses between track workers and trains remain near record minimums. This follows the near elimination of unassisted lookout working across the industry. However, there has been a rise in line blockage and possession incidents.
There were three passenger or public fatalities in stations or on trains, two of which occurred at the platform-train interface. RSSB has also seen an increase in sitting on the platform edge (SOPE) incidents.
Ten people were killed while trespassing. This is a reduction from 2019/20 but reported cases of trespass have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were seven collisions between trains and road vehicles at level crossings, with one incident leading to a fatality. This is the highest number for five years.
There were 16 potentially high-risk train accidents, six of which were derailments.
The harm to members of staff associated with freight fell by about 10%. To improve safety further, the freight sector has implemented the Freight Safe Programme, which identifies priority projects.
There were no fatalities due to work-related driving in 2023/24, but 67 road vehicle collisions led to injury. Although this is the lowest level of harm in over five years, a fatality in May 2024 shows the need for continued effort.
SPADs have been rising for the past three years. Concerns remain around the high rate of incidents involving empty coaching stock trains.
Reported speeding events are up, but there is likely to be underreporting here, as the automatic systems that can detect speeding do not cover the whole network.
Fatigue continues to be a key issue. RSSB is supporting the industry by implementing a driver attention and alertness technology trial.
Extreme weather has probably contributed to a rise in earthworks failures, albeit below the levels seen in 2019/20. Network Rail’s £45bn rail improvement plan for the five-year control period includes £2.8bn for activities and technology that will help it better cope with extreme weather and climate change.
Around 94% of frontline staff have experienced workplace abuse and violence, a key concern. In 2023/24, there were 177 lost-time incidents resulting from staff assaults.
Musculoskeletal disorders are one of rail’s biggest health and wellbeing issues. RSSB is running a survey to understand more about the issue and identify priority areas.
We structure the AHSR around the five key risk areas in the industry’s Rail Health and Safety Strategy: health and wellbeing, operations, occupational health and safety, asset management, and public behaviour. There’s an awful lot in there, and I’d encourage people to read the document and the supporting information that we publish alongside it.
For more on these key takeaways and how RSSB is working with industry to reduce risk, read the report.
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