Rail Professional Magazine (April 2024) Article: Back to Basics
In the rail industry safety is paramount for employees, contractors and customers alike. However, it is of particular importance for safety-critical roles like track workers and engineers, or drivers where minor lapses can lead to catastrophic incidents. Sometimes, despite organisational safety training initiatives, and concerted focus, safety performance fluctuations can remain a concern.
The OPC’s latest article in Rail Professional magazine sheds light on the fundamentals of safety and some of the challenges safety-critical employees face in maintaining safety standards. Insights from Laura Hedley, Senior Occupational Psychologist at the OPC delve into some of the human factors underlying safety lapses. She outlines some of the safety fundamentals such as personal protective equipment, working conditions and adherence to rules. Laura also discusses the challenges that hinder safer behaviours including factors like time pressure, or a fear of reprisal. Furthermore, the article explores why individuals may hesitate to challenge neglectful safety behaviours in others and the impact this may have on organisational safety culture.
Organisational culture plays a pivotal role in ensuring the fundamentals of safety. Norms that prioritise productivity over safety can lead to apathy towards reporting and challenging unsafe behaviour. Yet, with contribution from an industry expert, the article reinforces the urgency of prioritising safety in the workplace, and emphasising the collective responsibility of individuals and organisations in upholding safety standards.
"The stakes are high. Potential consequences of safety breaches, such as fatalities or legal accountability highlight the importance of this collective responsibility. That's why we need to create a culture where safety is everyone's top priority."
A Maintenance Delivery Manager
The article doesn’t fall short by offering some practical solutions to support the improvement of safety behaviours. It points to the OPC’s comprehensive training options such as Non-Technical Skills training and the new Accelerate Your Safety Leadership workshops which provide actionable strategies to enhance safety awareness and leadership in safety-critical organisations.
You can read the full article here.
Get in touch with the friendly OPC team if you think we can help your employees understand more about the basics of safety.