Could You Help Save Another Life?
Featured story18 November 2021
In this episode I talk again with Jason Alexandre, one of the Network Rail Training Officers at Samaritans, and with Dom Mottram, a project manager at Network Rail who's experienced small talk in action, when it saved his life. Jason talks about the ongoing work of Samaritans, and Dom talks about how someone helped him with small talk and how he now pays that back.
Topics in this episode include:
- Dom introduces himself and his role in the railway. [01:27]
- Jason talks about what Samaritans has achieved and done with the rail industry in the last year. [02:00]
- Jason talks about the Small Talk Saves Lives campaign for the public that was relaunched in August, and how the rail industry benefits from and supports it. [04:05]
- Dom describes his first experience of small talk, which saved his life. And why he is now an advocate for the Managing Suicidal Contacts training programme. [05:35]
- Jason talks about the importance of starting a small talk conversation, and gives five tips for managing that contact. [07:53]
- Dom adds his thoughts on how everybody in the railway environment can spot something out of the ordinary and start small talk, whether you work on a station or not. [09:33]
- Dom describes and intervention that he made by chance, triggered by his curiosity as he keeps an eye out for things that are out of the ordinary, whether on duty or not. [10:37]
- Devon describes some of the specific themes that came out of her discussions with the ground staff. In particular the variety of tasks and responsibilities of the role today. [11:29]
- Contact information and close. [11:50]
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Samaritans phone number: 116 123
- Samaritans email contact: jo@samaritans.org
- Samaritans Small Talk Saves Lives campaign webpage
- If you'd like to get involved with the campaign or take the Managing Suicidal Contacts training, email railcompanies@samaritans.org
- Could you help save a life? RSSB podcast, episode 8
- RSSB Suicide Prevention webpages
- Rail Suicide Prevention website
- RSSB Mental Wellbeing webpages
- Leading Health and Safety on Britain's Railway Public Behaviour section.
RSSB podcasts cover a range of topics to keep you informed about things that will lead us all toward a better, safer railway. All our podcasts can be accessed from our podcast page.
