Top stories in this issue
• Cannon Street 1991
• Near miss at Fishguard
• Manual handling help
Letter from the editor
We all have to lift, move and carry things. If you look at RED 64, our video on depot safety, you’ll see an old clip of 1960s stunt performer and body builder Joan Rhodes demonstrating best practice for staff on lifting oil drums and other heavy objects.
Whether they’re oil drums, suitcases, packing crates or impact wrenches, heavy objects are still heavy objects, and they can cause harm if carried incorrectly. The old mantra ‘bend with your knees, not with your back’ doesn’t capture the scope of potential harm, as it ignores the fact that it’s not just your back that’s at risk. It can be your shoulder, lower leg and wrists, too. Therefore, we’re pleased that RSSB’s Dr Kirsten Huysamen and star trainer Suzanne Anderson look at manual handling and how you can avoid injury in this issue of Right Track.
With thoughts turning to the warmer months of summer, Claire Repeti from Rail Partners shows how the railway prepares for seasonal changes in temperature. She considers both the track and the passenger saloon. RSSB’s Joe Wilson, meanwhile, considers post-qualified drivers and points out how the industry could cut the numbers of SPADs by supporting those relatively new to the cab environment.
New to the main line, but by no means new to the cab, Bessie Matthews describes her new role with GB Railfreight as a fully-fledged freight driver. We also spend 10 minutes with RSSB’s Marianna White for this edition’s interview. From selling tickets, to dispatching trains on the Great Eastern, to the Department for Transport and now RSSB, Marianna describes her work with our engagement team. If you see her at your company’s next safety day, do say hello. And let her know if you’d like to write for Right Track.
Greg Morse
Is there a link between SPADs and PQ drivers?Industry concern about a possible connection between SPADs and post-qualified drivers has prompted further research.
Corporate memory: Cannon Street 1991GTR’s Dominic Morrow looks back to London’s fatal buffer stop collision in the 90s and considers the learning for today.
Plan in place to combat Pendolino fleet leakThe climate control on Avanti’s Pendolino fleet failed, causing water to leak onto passengers. What’s being done to avoid a repeat event?
Daily commute: a matter of life and deathMore needs to be done to tackle road risk, says East Midlands Trains’ Richard Lavelle.
Handle with careManual handling causes many musculoskeletal disorders. How can you avoid injury?
Life at high speedClaire Volding, Network Rail’s Head of High Speed Operations, tells readers about the inspirational new path she’s walking.
NewswireYour quarterly round-up of overseas rail accidents and incidents between between January and April 2024.
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