New non-technical skills resources to improve competence and safety
Many companies have integrated non-technical skills (NTS) into safety-critical roles, but it can still be challenging for them to fully understand and apply NTS.
NTS provide a standardised and formalised way of describing and developing the behavioural part of competence. It helps us better observe, measure, and improve what people do and how they do it. However, across companies and safety-critical roles there are variations in the level of integration of NTS, how NTS are explained and understood, and how NTS are related to the technical tasks carried out by frontline.
Evidence from other industries suggests that better NTS integration could improve safety outcomes, the way a team functions, adherence to procedures, attitudes towards safety, and safety culture.
This project critically evaluated current approaches to NTS integration and produced new improved resources.
RSSB followed a user-centreddesign process to develop a new set of NTS resources. Plain language was used to make it easier for staff at all levels to understand and use NTS.
The work focused on three safety-critical roles selected by the steering group: drivers and shunters, controllers, and rolling stock maintenance staff. RSSB interviewed, observed, and obtained feedback from more than 50 individuals linked to these roles across nine companies. These were GTR, LNER, GWR, TPE, Freightliner, GBRf, NTS Global, Network Rail, and Alstom.
The resources are a revised one-page framework for all rail safety-critical roles, role-specific NTS task examples and strategies, and guidance and practical examples on integrating.
GB rail companies have begun to implement the revised NTS framework, including GTR, GA, and Avanti West Coast.
Initial benefits reported include controllers being better prepared for dealing with adverse weather conditions, drivers better recognising the skills they need to apply in risky situations, and enhanced driver engagement in competence development conversations.
The new NTS materials will help frontline staff, trainers, instructors, assessors, and managers to better understand, observe, evaluate and develop NTS in a range of rail safety-critical roles. This will help organisations enhance the integration of NTS throughout their competence management systems, including selection, training, assessments, and ongoing development.