Staff BUILDING A SAFER RAILWAY

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Editor: Matt Atkins

Production and design: Lauren Williamson Adam O’Connor

Track safety: Colin Wheeler

Advertising: Asif Ahmed Craig Smith Chris Davies

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News: news@rail-media.com

Track safety: colin@rail-media.com

Pictures: pictures@rail-media.com

Adverts: adverts@rail-media.com

Subscriptions: manda@rail-media.com

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RailStaff Publications, Rail Media House, Samson Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3FP.

Tel: 01530 816 444

Fax: 01530 810 344

Web: www.railstaff.co.uk

Email: hello@rail-media.com

The health, safety, and wellbeing of rail staff is a key concern for today’s industry, and rightly so, but that hasn’t always been the case. The railway of the past is renown as a hazardous way to make a living, and it’s only in the past 30 years that matters of safety have become central to its running. In that time, the industry has worked hard to make up for lost time. Major leaps have been taken to improve conditions and countless lives on the rails saved by new working practices, technology, and legislation.

In mid-March, delegates from across the industry gathered at University of Loughborough’s Hollywell Park Conference Centre for the return of Rail Media’s Rail Safety Summit. Last held before the restrictions of the Covid pandemic, the event featured speakers including Andrew Hall, chief inspector at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB); Marian Kelly, head of SHE at London Underground; and Professor Sarah Sharples, chief scientific officer at the Department for Transport and Professor of Human Factors at the Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB).

Returning as a live event for the first time since 2019, this year’s Rail Safety Summit was a true return to form, attracting over 120 attendees who left the venue impressed with the high level of discussion and with real food for thought. RailStaff’s very own Colin Wheeler hosted this successful event, aided by Rail Engineer's Clive Kessell. In this issue, Colin provides us with an overview of the day's highlights and key takeaways.

Off the back of the Safety Summit, I caught up with Nick Millington MBE, another of the event's invited speakers, to discuss his career and his leadership of Network Rail’s Track

Safety Task Force. Our in-depth conversation threw the spotlight on the evolution of health and safety on the rails, today’s pressing safety issues, and the factors which made Nick so dedicated to improving conditions for track workers.

Sticking to the safety theme, I also took a closer look at the issue of fatigue management. Anna Vereker, principle human factors specialist at the RSSB, spoke with me about the signs and symptoms of fatigue, its hazardous impact on staff safety, and how the industry and individuals alike can mitigate its risks.

Considering the wider scope of rail safety, in this issue we revisit civil engineering consultancy XEIAD to discuss its new Training Academy for structural inspection engineers. RailStaff covered the launch of the venture in December 2021 and returns to find it going from strength-to-strength, with many plans for the future.

After bidding farewell to outgoing chair Fiona Westcough in February, we welcome Bonnie Price, a consultant at EGIS in the UK, who takes the helm at Young Rail Professionals (YRP). Bonnie has hit the ground running and is eager to share her vision for the next 12 months. We wish her every success and welcome her to the RailStaff team.

Having kicked off this issue with one successful Rail Media event, we also look ahead to another. The 2023 RailStaff Awards are set to take place on 30 November at Birmingham’s NEC and will be here in no time at all. It’ll be tough to top last year’s extravaganza, but our exceptional events team is sure to work its magic once again. The countdown to the night of the year begins now!