Rail Wellbeing Alliance
Scope
The Rail Wellbeing Alliance (RWA) and its subgroups coordinate a variety of health activities across the industry, so that legal requirements, cost benefits, and better health provision within organisations can be universally achieved. This includes concerns identified in Leading Health and Safety on Britain's Railway (LHSBR) strategy. In particular, these relate to mental wellbeing, musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, assessment and management of occupational health hazards, occupational health provision, reporting and monitoring of workforce health and wellbeing, as well as health promotion and ill health prevention.
The Rail Wellbeing Alliance’s Guiding Principles:
- We are volunteers who do this because we care, not because we’ve been told to.
- The Rail Wellbeing Alliance is not a governance forum. It exists to support colleagues, open door and as far as we can, lead by example.
- Our plan is to draw on the best technical and leadership skills in the industry to deliver great results.
- We use our person networks to help share key and agreed narratives, maintaining a close relationship with sector groups.
The RWA reports directly to the LHSBR Executive Advisory Group (LEAG) and typically meets every six weeks. The group produces a summary of the ‘Key Messages’ after each meeting, which highlight work delivered or underway. This can be downloaded from the resources section of this page.
If you have any questions or wish to contact the group, please email: Health&Wellbeing@rssb.co.uk
Rail Wellbeing Alliance handbook
We have produced this informal guide to explain what we are doing to help the industry to be healthier and happier.
Message from the Chair
The railway is a huge part of this country’s history and future. Sometimes that responsibility weighs so heavily we forget that it only exists because of the people who work on it, travel on it and the freight customers who rely on it.
Even in the relatively short time I have been privileged to work in this industry, safety standards have changed, and what was considered “normal” isn’t seen that way now. Go further back, 30 or 40 years - many of our people’s careers do go back that far - and safety standards are all but unrecognisable.
We, the people of the railway made changes happen. We worked together to set in motion a cultural change that is still developing now. It’s time we took that same spirit, drive and determination and do the same for health and happiness.
Physical and mental health are crucial for people to feel happy and happy people perform well. Passengers and customers who meet happy and confident railway colleagues will feel happier themselves - it’s infectious.
We can’t solve every problem with health and happiness - we still need to invest sensibly and focus on performance - but my goodness it will make a difference.
This Rail Wellbeing Alliance is dedicated to supporting industry to make it happen.
Subgroups
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Business Engagement and MeasurementThe Business Engagement & Measurement Group’s scope is to encourage better use of health data by rail companies to engage business leaders and improve investment decisions in health and well-being at company and industry level.
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Fatigue Coordination GroupThe Fatigue Coordination Group is a specialist risk subgroup that supports the industry in devising and sharing world class approaches to managing fatigue. It aims to improve employee health and wellbeing and make fatigue-related incidents a thing of the past. It supports the Rail Wellbeing Alliance in coordinating and monitoring the rail industry’s progress on fatigue risk management.
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Healthy Cultures GroupThe Healthy Cultures Group focuses on industry-wide collaboration and sharing good practice to create healthier working environments across the network and support health and wellbeing among the workforce, both in the prevention and management of health conditions.
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Mental Wellbeing GroupThe Mental Wellbeing Group covers all insight, policies and actions to address the risks to the mental wellbeing of all UK rail employees, and all activities required to foster a positive, open culture on mental health across the UK rail industry.
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MusculoSkeletal Disorders GroupThe Musculoskeletal Disorders Group (MSDG) is a specialist subgroup reporting to the Rail Wellbeing Alliance (RWA) providing evidence-based best practice and guidance to the railway industry to facilitate the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), enabling workers to live full and productive lives throughout their entire career.
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Occupational Health Advisory GroupThe Occupational Health Advisory Group is a specialist leadership group supporting the development and effective implementation of best practice for rail occupational health.
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Occupational Hygiene Management GroupThe purpose of the Occupational Hygiene Management Group is to focus on strategic activities for the assessment and management of the key health risks in the railway.
Membership
To address the strategic challenges for health and wellbeing and fatigue, RWA has industry director level sponsors who oversee the delivery and realisation of the benefits. The group also has chairs for these areas and the relevant subgroups.
- Industry Sponsors (x7)
- Chair
- Deputy Chair
- Workstream Chairs (x7)
- RSSB Principal Strategy Implementation Manager
The RWA includes the ORR as observers. We have representation from across the industry including trade unions, infrastructure, supply chain, freight and train operations.
Chair of committee: John Halsall, Network Rail - Southern Region
RSSB main representative: Michelle O'Sullivan
Committee Members
Name | Company | Representing | Status |
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Ann Mills | RSSB | RSSB | Member |
Annette Edgington | Rail Operations (UK) Limited | Non Passenger Train Operating Company | Member |
Bridget Juniper | Work and Well-Being Limited | Independent | Member |
Christine Kinloch | RSSB | RSSB | Meeting Manager |
Claire Mann | First MTR South Western Train Limited | Passenger Train Operating Company | Member |
David Horne | London North Eastern Railway | Train Operating Company | Deputy Chair |
Howard Kaye | Alsef Trustee Company Limited | Trade Union | Member |
Jackie Townsend | Tram Operations Limited | Light Rail | Member |
Jen Ablitt | Office of Rail and Road | Office of Rail and Road | Observer |
Jenny Wilson | Network Rail Infrastructure Limited | Infrastructure Manager | Observer |
John Halsall | Network Rail - Southern Region | Chair | Chair |
Leyton Powell | Transport for Wales | Infrastructure Manager | Member |
Mark Newns | Keltbray Limited | Suppliers | Member |
Martin Frobisher | Network Rail Infrastructure Limited | Infrastructure Manager | Member |
Michelle O'Sullivan | RSSB | RSSB | Member |
Mick Rayner | Balfour Beatty Rail Limited | Suppliers | Member |
Nadine Rae | TSSA | Trade Union | Member |
Neil Boyd | Transport for London (TfL) | Infrastructure Manager | Member |
Patrick Verwer | Govia Thameslink Railway | Train Operating Company | Member |
Paul Hutchings | Arriva Rail London Limited | Passenger Train Operating Company | Member |
Paul Verghese | Victa Railfreight Limited | Freight Operating Company | Member |
Rob Miguel | Unite the Union | Trade Union | Other |
Robert Morris | Siemens Rail Automation Limited | Suppliers | Member |
Samantha Phillips | Transport for London (TfL) | Train Operating Company | Member |