New Health Data Insights to Reduce Rail's Risk and Cost
In an industry-first, rail body RSSB is publishing a new quarterly report which helps organisations get a better understanding of their health and wellbeing performance.
Aimed at health, HR, and operational decision makers, the new report provides access to shared, aggregated data to assess and monitor health risks, and benchmark against others.
RSSB’s research suggests that rail industry’s sickness absence rates are just over 3 per cent higher than the ONS average. Mental ill-health was the primary cause of absence in the data submitted, which is also supported by analysis using the Health and Wellbeing Index.
The report marks the start of a new era in health data-sharing by the rail industry, a strategy which has served the sector so well on safety matters over the last 25 years.
For the first time, health risks are quantified in a way that can help rail wellbeing champions and budget holders target the right interventions. RSSB’s experts are keen to stress this is early days. This is the first ever report, and while the figures can provide some food-for-thought for all HR and operational leads, the real value is for the 12 organisations who participated in the benchmarking, to get their own customised, independent analysis and assessment from RSSB.
Research is ongoing to continuously improve the benchmarking and reporting process, and by June 2024, the last phase of the work will see the roll-out of the system to the whole industry. That said, RSSB is still open to new participants joining the research phase to contribute to this initial phase of quarterly reporting.
RSSB’s Health and Wellbeing Specialist, Magdalena Wronska said:
“Tackling the risk and cost associated with poor health is much more difficult without the right data to quantify them. This ground-breaking research and new quarterly report help industry take a huge leap forward in data capability and insights. It means board rooms and budget holders are better informed about the choices concerning policy and investment in health. And ultimately this means better employee wellbeing, and reduced risk and cost.”
The initiative forms part of the work RSSB does to help the rail industry work together through Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railway (LHSBR).
The research phase is still open, and any companies who wish to participate in the benchmarking process and quarterly reporting, should contact RSSB’s research analyst: Noodhir Sobun, via email at Noodhir.Sobun@rssb.co.uk.
Further Information:
The first quarterly report (Q3 2021-22) was published in May 2022. It presents the first findings from the Industry Health and Wellbeing Performance Management System (T1259), to collect and benchmark rail’s health and wellbeing key performance indicators (KPI). It comprises data from 12 companies, insights from two benchmarking groups, and (where possible) four benchmarks for available KPIs.
Participants also receive their personalised benchmarking report with recommendations from RSSB on how to improve their performance every quarter.
Our Health and Wellbeing specialists and researchers are helping the rail industry work together on a broader programme of work of which this is just one part.
The initiative forms part of the work RSSB does to help the rail industry work together through Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railway (LHSBR).
Editors’ Notes
About RSSB
RSSB provides research, analysis, and insight to help the industry work together to deliver a better, safer railway.
As a membership-based rail industry body, RSSB includes train and freight operating companies, infrastructure managers, contractors, rolling stock leasing companies and suppliers. Our work involves partnerships with academia and other railways across the world.
For more information, go to www.rssb.co.uk