Helping organisations understand what track workers really do
RAIB recommendation 7 from the Margam accident report highlighted track worker safety arrangements. There is a need for more realistic assessments of the extent to which these are embedded, and applied, in practice. Organisations can have a limited understanding of the differences between work as imagined and work as done. This can mean that new standards and procedures may not be fully embedded in practice.
Modern safety culture approaches used by HF specialists are better at understanding how work is done in reality. However, it can be difficult for companies to adapt existing safety management systems and use these theories. This project reviewed how organisations can improve their understanding of the realities of work by engaging with the workforce.
RSSB carried out a literature review of safety culture approaches. It also conducted interviews with safety, health, and culture experts from GB rail and other safety-critical industries in the UK and Europe.
The project found several ways to better understand the realities of work by engaging with the workforce. It identified practical examples and issues to consider for each method.
Some approaches may not be new to GB rail organisations but can still improve the quality of insights. The project found organisational enablers for learning about how work is done. It highlighted specific issues for the rail infrastructure sector to consider when using these methods.
This project makes it easier for GB rail organisations to apply theoretical safety culture principles. It helps them adapt their existing practices to improve learning. This means that large scale changes are not always needed.
This project also highlights important lessons learned by other organisations.
Overall, this project makes it possible to address safety issues that were not understood before.