Ten minutes with...
Network Rail’s HSE Analysis and Reporting Manager, Hayley Rance
How long have you been on the railway and what brought you to us?
I’ve been on the railway nearly nine years, having previously worked for local councils. I did a safety qualification in 2014 and then applied to be a Safety Reporting Assistant with Network Rail. I knew it was the right role for me.
So, safety was the pull for you?
Absolutely! My team looks after safety data, and I see the positive impact my role has on the world, on our workforce, and the public and passengers.
Do we talk enough about when things go right?
No, I think we struggle to be more positive. The stats say we’re one of the safest railways in the world, but we can’t be complacent and need to keep pushing forward, as well as celebrating our successes.
What’s an average day for you?
I’m working with a team to develop a new safety reporting system. This makes every day varied. I manage a big team of safety data assistants and analysts. Some of our recent work has seen us try to understand how to measure good behaviours. This is a really interesting piece of work and moves us away from measuring when things go wrong.
What do you see as the industry’s biggest challenges in the next 10 years?
We need to rise the challenge presented by AI and machine learning and see whether it’s a viable option to help us make good decisions. And of course, climate change and extreme weather, and GB rail’s aging infrastructure. There are just as many opportunities, though, such as rail’s sustainability credentials.
Do we need to modernise our ways of thinking, too?
As a queer person in our industry who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, I’ve had some negative experiences. I think understanding and acceptance will gradually change. But we have to want that change and understand the benefits of a diverse and inclusive railway.
I’m an Equity Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Network Rail. I had a lovely email from somebody apologising for saying ‘goodbye ladies’ at the end of a call I was on the other day. I think that’s progress. This is how we show we care, and it’s how we learn and grow. We must make sure that we always care, however, not just during awareness events, Pride Month, and other campaigns.
A colleague, who’s a Mobile Operations Manager, is openly lesbian. People have approached her while travelling on the railway when they’ve felt in danger. Again, that’s really positive, but we need to get to a point where they would feel comfortable approaching anybody. The more diverse we are as an industry, the better it will be, for everyone.
What would you say to anyone starting on the railway today?
Don’t be afraid to get it wrong. We learn from our mistakes.
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