May 2015The Magazine for our people

The invisible

issueMental health,

wellbeing and the

help available

Also...Lessons learned – major incidents teach us to be safer Planning and Delivering Safe Work: an update Batteries not included – fatigue management

2network / May 2015

May 2015

You can read Network in print or online at http://goo.gl/fuzduy

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Contributor’s welcome

What’s making news across the business

network knowledge

On the cover: Adam Biscoe, who shares his story about depression and bipolar on pages 12-14.

workforce safety isn’t just about the obvious hazards. Sometimes the risks to safety are physical and can be identified – as demonstrated in the incident outlined on pages 10-11.

Sometimes, they are not easy to spot. Mental wellbeing and fatigue are two key examples of this and we look closely at what we are doing as a business to manage these issues and support our people, on pages 8-9 and 12-14.

also in this issue we hear from Phil Hufton, managing director for network operations (pages 4-5).

with the new approach to level crossing safety going live over the summer, we meet some of the people this affects (pages 6-7).

and we look at the progress of two of our key safety initiatives – Close Calls (page 15) and the Planning and Delivering Safe work programme (pages 16-18) – to see the difference they are making on the front line.

enjoy the issue.

Tfl adopTs senTinel Sentinel cards, our ‘passport’ to railway infrastructure, are now being used by Transport for London (TfL) after London Underground signed-up to adopt the cards.

The cards, which we introduced in June 2013 to improve workforce safety, replaced London Underground’s LUCAS smartcards from 1 April.

The system uses the latest smartcard and database technology to manage and maintain individual workers’ competence, medical records and authority to work.

Bridge To suCCess Our engineers have received an award from the Institution of Civil Engineers in recognition of the sensitivity and technical complexity of their work on two historic bridges in Cambridgeshire.

The project, to restore and repair two neighbouring bridges carrying the East Coast main line (ECML) over the River Nene in Peterborough, used modern engineering computer software and construction techniques to strengthen structures built in 1850.

One of the bridges is Grade 2 listed and believed to be Britain’s last cast iron structure still in operation on a high speed line.

2network / May 2015

3network / May 2015

“In the time I’ve been interim director of Safety, Technical and Engineering (STE), the priority has been to ensure we continue to focus on the primary purpose of creating the new function – to fully integrate safety and sustainability into engineering and asset management, reinforcing the fact that safety is critical in everything we do.

“This has been an eye-opening career opportunity for me. We’ve got great people, who deliver great work, but we do duplicate our efforts. We have to use this opportunity to sharpen accountabilities and make it simpler and easier for everyone to maintain and improve safety and performance.

“I look forward to welcoming Graham Hopkins who takes over from me in June, and I’m keen to see how his experience and fresh perspective will help us to achieve Everyone Home Safe Every Day.”

in the spotlightJane Simpson explains how the development of the new STE function is progressing

Business Briefings The last of the 2015 Business Briefings is on 20 May. This year a total of 19 sessions will have been hosted at 11 locations across England, Scotland and Wales.

This year’s events have focused on the message of ‘Better every day’ and audiences have heard how we will use structured continuous improvement to drive forward the performance of our business.

Further themes explored at the briefings are better collaboration between teams, increased accountability and the importance of building our reputation as a caring organisation.

Mark Carne (pictured with Adedayo Phillips, in York) has also visited a number of delivery units across the country to take the message directly to front line people who may not have had the opportunity to attend a Business Briefing in person.

easTer prograMMe suCCess heralds new approaCh More than 14,000 people worked safely round-the-clock over the four-day Easter weekend to deliver a raft of projects, which saw £100m invested in new station facilities, platforms and junctions, plus thousands of pieces of new equipment.

With all projects handed back on time, we received notes of thanks from passengers and politicians after successfully completing one of our busiest periods of track maintenance and renewal work.

A sustained social media campaign ensured passengers were informed about changes to their travel and a series of photos sent from our work sites helped share the message that we are working hard to upgrade the railway.

“It just goes to show what we can achieve when we plan effectively and pull together to safely deliver to that plan. This successful, co-ordinated approach must be the way we do things from now on,” said chief executive Mark Carne.

Major investment schemes at London Bridge, Reading, Watford and London Liverpool Street were among scores of jobs taking place across the country over Easter.

4network / May 2015

The interview

We need to look out for each

otherit’s been a busy first few months for phil

hufton, new managing director for network operations. we hear how it’s going and

what his priorities are for our people

‘‘

’’

5network / May 2015

you’ve been in the role for a few months now. what is the one thing we have to focus

on to get where we need to be?“It’s always going to be safety for me. It will always come first because our safety record isn’t where it needs to be. And I know safety and performance go hand in hand – when one improves so does the other. We need to focus on giving people the right training and equipment to do their jobs. Everyone wants to do a good job, but it’s our responsibility to give them the right tools, processes and environment to do that.

“We need to get better at training our front line people – not just our managers – and enable them to deliver to the appropriate standards. Everyone in our business is important but the people working out on track need to be aware they make a difference to passengers’ journeys too. Everybody working safely has a direct impact on them.”

as a business, we want to show we care for our people and our passengers, which can be a tough message to get across. what are you doing to ensure we care more?“I am getting personally involved with our people and talking to the right people and encouraging them to continue to deliver for our customers. When London Bridge was under fire, I went there most days. I met customers and spoke to our customer service and station teams to thank them and give them support. They’re doing a tough job.

“In terms of big engineering projects, we need to lend more support, work more collaboratively with Infrastructure Projects (IP) and our train operating partners and respond and react better to incidents. Communications are a vital part of this. We need to be more joined up and more customer focused in our approach.

“As for our people, I want a culture where everybody is prepared to challenge unsafe behaviours, and takes accountability. I stopped a guy on site the other day because his shoe laces were undone. He looked a bit surprised but at the end of the day, if it stopped him having an accident then why wouldn’t I tell him? If we want to show we are a more caring organisation, it means we need to look out for each other.”

it’s been said we need to do more to promote safety and put more power in the hands of the people doing the work. how will we do this?“I am introducing a new initiative called Safety Hour – which is one hour every week where all teams in Network Operations come together and focus on safety. They talk about it, review plans, go over incidents and look at where they need to get better. Local managers will be the people deciding what to discuss – they know their areas best. But there will be a framework and resources available to help and support them in delivering this approach.

“The main point is safety, but these sessions will also help with team work – with managers getting to know their teams better, which all leads to safer, better working conditions for everyone. I know people will worry about stopping working for an hour but I know from experience at London Underground that it will drive up productivity. Closer teams work better together – I’m looking forward to us all seeing the benefits of that.” n

safety hourThe first Safety Hours were held nationally in April. They allow local manages to decide which safety topics to cover. Find out more on Connect or Safety Central.

phil meeting highly visible customer-facing colleagues

Phil Hufton – CV

Started career as a craft apprentice in Derby manufacturing trains

From 1997, ran a safety-critical international business

Joined Metronet in 2006

Joined London Underground as chief maintenance officer in 2008

Headed up reliability preparations for the 2012 Olympics

Became LU’s chief operating officer in 2013

Joined Network Rail as managing director for Network Operations in January 2015

a fresh approach to promoting safety at our 6,000 level crossings

starts this summer. network joined level crossing managers in glasgow as they were introduced

to the new campaign

6network / May 2015

Levelcrossings

7network / May 2015

More than 900 level crossings have closed since 2009, including 100 this year, but it

is getting harder to find ways to make closures, so safety promotion becomes increasingly important.

The “See track, think train” days are over, and with them is our old approach to level crossing safety.

We have stopped running national television adverts and are instead focusing on different level crossing user groups in our new “If you don’t take care” campaign.

The new approach moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach and encourages better two-way engagement between our people and user groups.

Feedback and research from previous campaigns suggested a more effective way of promoting safety on crossings would be talking to individual user groups with tailored safety messages.

It begins in June and will see us take a more proactive approach to level crossing safety. We have identified 20 different groups of level crossing users and will be focusing on seven of them over the next 12 months, starting with pedestrians and cyclists in June followed by dog walkers and farmers in July.

As part of this new way of working, level crossing managers are being empowered to do their own local activity to run alongside the national campaigns.

Bram davenport, level crossing manager, Tottenham“As level crossing managers,

we’re already used to working with our

communities, whether that is schools, businesses or clubs. Having this material and direction from the national campaign will make us better equipped to work with them as well as giving us the confidence that we’re putting the right messages across. The beauty of the ‘Running a great campaign’ course was having a reciprocal, collaborative approach which helps our central safety people shape the national campaign based on our experiences.”

Colin pannell, level crossing manager, irvine“The user groups identified in the training chimes with

our experience of the groups we tend to encounter and their behaviours. Having a better understanding of them and the best ways to go about reaching them will be really useful in our engagement work. It’s not just that every area is unique and every crossing is unique, but each level crossing manager has a different way of working so it’s excellent to have some consistency.”

libby gallacher, level crossing manager, inverkeithing“Level crossing managers

are better placed than anybody to understand the local challenges and users of our crossings, plus safety awareness is a vital part of our jobs already. After seeing for myself how the campaign will run nationally, it gives me plenty of ideas about how I can take this away to my part of Scotland and make it work on a local level. I’m looking forward to June so we can get cracking on pushing out the safety message.” n

the rules, but as we’re sometimes in the middle of intense journeys, it’s important for us to stop and pay attention.”

there’s any changes then the level crossing manager comes along, tells my boss, he passes it down and we all follow that practice.”

a habit of taking advantage of their freedom so it’s important if we’re following them to make sure we don’t stray into danger.”

Jason Waldron, Dudley and Halesowen Cycling Club“Whenever we go on a ride as a group, we might easily come across five or six crossings, all of which have different instructions for use. We’re always conscious of the need to abide by

Chris Cade, farmer, Lincolnshire“When we’re busy we can be over the crossing 20 to 30 times a day, so you have to stop, get out, shut the gate behind you and use it as safely as possible. My boss shows us the proper practice for going over the level crossing safely and if

Tim Byng (and Bomber), dog walker, Northampton“It’s easy as a dog walker to really get lost in your own thoughts, especially when you’re somewhere you’re not totally familiar with. If they’re off their lead, dogs have

Over to you: we hear from level crossing users

8network / May 2015

Fatigue management

Re-CHARGewith 25 years of experience in health and safety

in construction, Chris Mcdermott joined in late 2014 to lead the business’s fatigue management work

9network / May 2015

“Given the shift-based and physical nature of our track work, it’s inevitable most people will think of this when they think about the dangers of fatigue. We have reports of track workers not completing the necessary checks before finishing jobs and signallers setting incorrect routes on a regular basis, often attributed to fatigue.”

On the track

“Our safety culture applies to everybody in the business, including those of us who work in offices. It isn’t necessarily due to over-exertion at work, it could be home life as I imagine anybody who works in an office and has a newborn baby in the household will attest. Most of our planning is done in the office and we need to be conscious here too.”

in the office

“Driving is one of the most obvious times when fatigue is a risk and this affects all our people. In the last six months, we’ve had a case of someone falling asleep at the wheel and crashing into a tree. Thankfully there was no serious injury but he Close Called himself citing fatigue.”

On the road

“There are several different types of fatigue so it’s quite a difficult concept to fully

understand,” says Chris. “Alcohol, for example, affects everyone in different ways, but the important thing is that it does affect everybody.

“Ultimately, it’s a reduced state of mental alertness that can affect performance, brought on by over exertion. Because of the nature of the business, the risk associated with fatigue is significant. Drivers, maintenance staff and signallers are just three examples of people who run the risk of fatigue and who, if it was to impair their judgement or performance, could cause harm to themselves or others.”

need to change“The fatigue management programme runs until June 2016 and recognises that fatigue is something the business needs to get to grips with and bring about a culture change.

“The first thing we’ve done is seek to understand the challenge better. Traditionally, as a business, we’ve significantly underestimated the impact of fatigue as a factor in safety incidents. Investigations now ask more probing questions about fatigue, whereas before they didn’t really explore it well enough.

“A fatigue risk index (FRI) calculator is now embedded in operational roster tools which allow you calculate the FRI score while planning and updating the roster. It will visually show any exceeding of hours on the roster and could improve risk assessment. Currently all this would need to be done manually using spreadsheets.

“Use of this across the business is inconsistent so are working to make sure it is a standard and our frontline people, in particular, can expect to see more of this.”

Better decisions“Over the summer, we’re going to be doing some work to help people make better decisions, how to identify when they are fatigued and what to do.

“In the long-term, there’s an even bigger job to change the culture of our rosters and staffing systems.

“What we are going to need to make this project work is the right information, a cultural change and better design of working patterns and shift rosters.” n

Jargon BusTer

Fatigue Risk IndexThis is a tool which asks people to put in information such as their commute time, workload, demands on attention and number of breaks. It then calculates a score between one and 100, representing how likely they are to be fatigued to the extent that they may be unable to stay awake. Although a useful tool for assessing risk of injury, it is not the sole or primary means of assessing risk.

fasT faCTs

Fatigue results in slower reactions, reduced ability to process information, memory lapses, absent-mindedness, decreased awareness, lack of attention, underestimation of risk and reduced coordination

Being awake for more than 24 hours has been found to cause impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration above the drink driving limit

Recent RSSB research has identified fatigue as a factor in 21 per cent of incidents as opposed to the one per cent recorded by the industry

The working time directive entitles railway workers to an average 48 hour working week, including sufficient rest periods.

10network / May 2015

Learning culture LeARninG

THe LessOns

lee parlett explains how serious incidents help us share safety lessons

11network / May 2015

a secured ironman shown prior to fitting the associated bottom cross beam

that also contributed to what happened that night.

“This is why it’s important this is shared across the company. Safety begins even before the design and planning stages and everyone will be able to take something from these sessions.”

lessons learned“We know taking time out of people’s busy schedules can be an issue as ultimately everyone – from the front line to the offices – is working hard to keep the railways running safely, so it’s important to strike a balance.

“This is why the lessons learned from the ironmen incident will be incorporated into the Safety Hour sessions all Network Operations staff are taking part in.

“We have to make talking about, and learning from, incidents including those that don’t have more serious consequences, a regular activity – a constant theme of our working.” n

A business-wide safety-focused stand down event will be taking place to look at the lessons from

a near miss involving a piece of heavy equipment known as an ironman, that occurred late last year.

The incident (see below) saw two ironmen run out of control for more than five miles during an overnight maintenance shift in rural Wales.

It will follow a similar approach to the business-wide briefings last year that followed the tragic death of John Wright at Newark Northgate station.

Although on this occasion there were no serious injuries, the incident provides an opportunity to look closely at the lessons to be learnt, as corporate investigation manager Lee Parlett explains.

safety margin“The stand down that followed John’s death was invaluable in that it gave more than 8,000 of our people the chance to look at real-life circumstances and how they could, both as individuals and teams, commit to improving safety.

“Feedback from the stand down told us people liked the focus on a single event as it prompted meaningful discussions and the ironmen incident is another excellent opportunity.

“Most of all, this is because the investigation concluded that there was no single cause - rather, there were a host of contributing factors that gradually eroded the safety margin until it became an incident.”

planning and design“The steep gradient and appalling weather were factors, but there were also a whole host of things that went wrong way before the team went out on track.

“There were issues around planning, equipment design and communications

point at Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen to Raven level crossing in Garnant, Carmarthenshire.While the ironmen were in transit they ran out of control for a distance of more than five miles along the Garnant Branch line.

At around 21:40 on 1 November 2014, a pair of special trolleys (known as ironmen) were being used to transport a 52 foot length of rail, weighing approximately one tonne, from an access

The ironmen incident – what the Rail Accident investigation Branch said...

Two track-workers travelled with the runaway ironmen (one on each) as far as Raven level crossing, where they shouted a warning to four colleagues who were in the process of removing road

panels from the level crossing, before jumping off. The men working on the level crossing were able to move away shortly before the ironmen ran through their site of work. One of the men who

had travelled with the ironmen required hospital treatment for injuries he sustained when he jumped clear. The ironmen subsequently ran through three further road crossings (two of which were

automatically operated) and a number of footpath crossings before they had slowed sufficiently for a manager to be able to stop and secure them near the town of Ammanford.

12network / May 2015

Health and wellbeing

iT’s Time TOspeAk UpColleagues open up about their experience of mental health to encourage others to do the same

13network / May 2015

The figures are clear – one in four of us will experience a mental health issue this

year. Any of us could be affected.That’s why Network Rail is

committed to eliminating the stigma associated with mental health and doing all it can to support people who need it.

You can read more about what we’re doing and the support that’s available on page 14.

Network also spoke to two colleagues who are opening up about their experiences to encourage others to do the same.

adam’s story...“I was diagnosed with depression back in 1999,” said Adam Biscoe, a signalling team leader. “For the 12 years that followed I took every prescription drug going to try to fight it. You name it, I tried it. But nothing worked. Life was like a roller coaster. I’d be really low for weeks on end and then have a week of feeling high, and on top of everything before it all came crashing down again. I could haul myself into work and get through the days but I wasn’t coping. I would try to cheer myself up but nothing worked.

“Things got worse. I was at risk of losing my wife and family because they couldn’t take much more. Finally, in 2012, I went to my GP and demanded to see a psychiatrist. Within half an hour she said: ‘you’ve been misdiagnosed. This isn’t depression - you have bi-polar’. My meds were changed and I’m happy to say I have enjoyed three years of stability since then.”

adam Biscoe, a signalling team leader in yeovil

maintenance depot, encourages others to open up

and share support

The importance of support“I still have ups and downs but life is less of a roller coaster now – more a bit of a bumpy ride. I have days in work when I’m quiet and withdrawn, but my team mates know my story and are quietly supportive. They just let me get on with it.

“When I started feeling better I took a bit more control of my health too. I stopped drinking and smoking and took up healthy eating and exercise. I love cycling and feel great when I’ve been out for a ride. You can really notice the difference the feel-good hormones make.”

ask for help“The reason I’m speaking up is to let people who are dealing with a mental health issue know that help is out there – that things can get better. It can be hard to ask for help but it can save your life. Or help you hold onto your family. It’s not like a broken leg where people can see and understand your issue. But it’s not that different either. Something isn’t working right, and you might need a bit of support to get it better.

“With depression, it can feel like you’re a car that has no engine. You want to do things – to get better – but you can’t. Your brain is stopping you.

“I’ve been on the railway 27 years and think it’s fantastic the work Network Rail is now doing to encourage people to open up and talk about mental health. It’s like they are providing a safety net for anyone who has an issue and wants to share it.”

iT’s Time TOspeAk Up

fasT faCTs

One in four people will experience a metal health issue in any one year

Anxiety and depression are the most common

Nine out of 10 people with mental health issues experience discrimination

Men are three times more likely than women to be at risk of suicide.

14network / MAY 2015

Health and wellbeing(continued)

FIND OUT MOREMuch more information is available online at safety.networkrail.co.uk/healthandwellbeing/Mental-Wellbeing/Time-to-change

1: Each route and business function is developing its own mental wellbeing improvement plan. 2: On top of this, a mental wellbeing champions programme is being piloted in selected areas this year, with plans to roll it out across the business in the near future.

through Safety Central. 5: Don’t forget our employee assistance programme provider, Validium, offers a confidential 24/7 counselling service to all of our people, as well as other information and services. Go to validium.com/vclub or call 0800 358 4858.

Six steps of support: Help is at hand if you need it

3: Our senior leaders are getting behind the cause too. This year has already seen several high-profile mental health events, where leaders including chief executive Mark Carne have gathered to discuss mental health and discuss what more can be done to support our people.

4: Our online health and wellbeing portal has a range of resources and guidance and will soon have an improved online wellbeing assessment, which employees can use to learn more about their physical and mental health. This can be accessed

6: We have signed up to the Time to Change campaign run by mental health charities, Mind and Rethink. More than 330 of our people have already pledged to do something to help challenge discrimination around mental health. Why not add your commitment too?

Chris’s story....“I have been dealing with depression for eight years following a breakdown. There are days when I am really great, and other days where my mind is a fog and I can barely think straight. I take medication which helps, however I am very fortunate to have great support from colleagues and managers. I have a series of adjustments such as hourly breaks and have used the support services for help to get through difficult periods.

I’ve noticed a big change in the way Network Rail is addressing mental health. We are much more open about it now. I am a diversity champion and work with others to help break down barriers and stigma. The launch of the Time to Change campaign is encouraging people not to bottle things up but to talk, which is so important. Admitting you need help can seem a sign of weakness, however it is the opposite. It’s a sign of strength that you recognise you have an issue and want to deal with it.” n

Chris Parker, strategic planner in Milton Keynes, is working with others to break down stigma surrounding mental health

need suPPort?

Speak with your line manager

Open up to a colleague you trust

Visit the online health and wellbeing portal

Call Validium for one-to-one support on 0800 358 4858.

GOT A CLOse CALL?Call it in: 01908 723500

Andy Davies is maintenance protection coordinator based at Edinburgh delivery unit. He

has worked on the railway for 22 years and says that safety has always been important to him.

“When I was asked to step up and be a responsible manager for Close Calls, I didn’t hesitate,” he said.

“We have a very supportive team around here and safety is at the top of the agenda. You will see it as a hot topic on our visualisation boards and is part of everyday conversation. Everyone believes in the safety vision and we all look out for each other.

“Despite that, since becoming a responsible manager for Close Calls, I’ve noticed occasions where people aren’t following our lifesaving rules.”

are we safe?“I stopped a team of contractors last year who were cutting back vegetation using chainsaws and other equipment. I was shocked to see they didn’t have the right PPE. I challenged them and told them what they were doing was dangerous.

“The incident was Close Called and escalated. There was an enquiry and lessons were learned.

“With things like that, I am never afraid to challenge people. I’d thank

them if they challenged me. After all, they’re only looking out for me.

“I think we all need to take a step back and ask ourselves ‘are we safe here?’.

Take control“Another thing I’ve noticed since becoming a responsible manager is accountability and ownership of safety risk. I’ve seen some great examples of people leading the way, but more of us can do it.

“For example, this week, I read a Close Call sheet where a team had flagged a four-metre hole in a fence. This was close to a school, so it was important it was sealed off.

“The ‘what have you done about it’ section of the Close Call was left blank so I investigated and found that, although the team was working on another job, they went out of their way to fix the fence.

“They called a team a short drive away and had them deliver the right materials before making the repair. It was a brilliant example of taking ownership and removing risk.

“For me the message is simple. If it’s safe to do so and you can make a difference, don’t walk away, make it safe.” n

whether it’s fixing a failing fence or calling out unsafe work, we all have the

power to make a difference

Are we safe here?

Andy Davies, maintenance protection coordinator, Edinburgh delivery unit“I’ve seen some great examples of people leading the way, but more of us can do it.”

CloseCalls

you Can help

We are exceeding the targets we set in calling in Close Calls with over 60,000 raised in the last year. However, less than half are closed within 28 days. If you see something you can safely address immediately, please do so but still Close Call it. This will free up people like Andy to focus on the calls that really need their intervention.

15network / May 2015

16network / May 2015

In just a few weeks’ time, the launch of the Planning and Delivering Safe Work (PDSW)

programme will start in East Midlands. The programme’s objective is to

introduce a new safer way of working that will ultimately touch everyone that works on the railway infrastructure.

A key element of this is the introduction of the new competence of safe work leader (SWL), a single accountable person who is responsible for the safe delivery of work within a worksite.

These safety leaders work with planners at the very start of each project, meaning they are involved at every stage of the process.

East Midlands was chosen as the

first area to develop and implement the programme.

Since then, the East Midlands and central PDSW teams have been on a real journey to get ready. To date, more than 3,500 people have been trained across the country, new software has been adopted for use and whole new ways of working have come into practice.

Chief executive Mark Carne visited Derby to hear from the teams who will be the first to use the new way of working when it launches there on 15 May.

Clear benefits“As with any big change, there are teething problems that have to be ironed out before we go live,” said Justin Page, programme director.

GeT ReADy, GeT seT...

GO!The first safe work leaders are all set to get

to work in east Midlands this month. we hear how they’re getting prepared

Safer working

Mark Carne chats to colleagues in derby

17network / May 2015

“There have been many challenges as we’ve prepared to go live in the first area of the country, testing concepts and assumptions have never been used before. It’s vital that we introduce real improvements to the way we plan and deliver our work.

“It’s about changing behaviours as well as bringing in new systems, and we have been working hard to make sure everyone is on board before we go live.

“The benefits are already becoming clear – mainly in the planning process. The SWL is now involved from the word go and throughout the whole process, meaning they have so much more familiarity with plans.

“Where it works well, we have really robust plans in place which stay in place, with far fewer changes taking place in the run-up to the work.

“It all leads to safer, better organised working on site which we know will result in fewer injuries to our people.”

from the floorSome key players in Derby tell us how they feel about launching the programme:

The planner – sharon hancock“Having used the system for a couple of weeks to prepare for launch, I am feeling quite

confident with it. It’s like anything else, it gets easier and quicker the more you do it. It has been great to have the safe work leaders sitting with us while we’re doing the planning – it can only be a good thing to have the people who will be responsible for safety on site engaged in the early stages of planning a project.”

John holmes, operative and union representative “Now we are preparing to go live, the main issue is one of

confidence. It’s like: ‘we know the theory, we know the system, but how will it all come together on the ground?’ It’s great to hear there are going to be live trials so the system is used in a real-life scenario before going out on to a work-site. All everyone wants is for it to be done right and in the right time rather than feeling rushed.”

rob parker, assistant signal and telecoms maintenance engineer (asTMe)“Now it’s just a matter of

weeks away, people are nervous about

The team discuss the launch of the pdsw programme

Justin page, programme director

18network / May 2015

Safer working(continued)

the changes – it’s simple fear of change. For many of them, it’s been five or six months from their training and they feel rusty, although refresher courses are being offered to anyone who needs them. I think everyone understands what we are doing and the benefits, it will just be good to finally put it all into action.”

simon record, track section manager“People are nervous about being the first to go live with

the new system. There are concerns around time and resource, as safe work leaders need to find the time to sit down with planners at the start of the process, which can be difficult. There are also some issues with the systems that are being looked at, things like incorrect diagrams on the mapping system. All our concerns are being ironed out now and there is not one person on track who can’t see the benefits of what we’re doing.”

ed akers, infrastructure delivery manager“Now that everyone is trained and all the software and

systems are in place, it’s just a matter of bringing it all together. We are holding mess-room briefings and stand-down sessions to test it on the ground, giving people a chance to test the new process before they are out on track. There will be practical support at every stage, with managers on hand to coach people through the process.”

discussing finer details of the programme just weeks before launch

the latest information, providing a single version of the truth that provides greater clarity. It guides users through planning and risk assessment processes to produce paperwork that fully describes the plan. Plus, clear, site-specific information plotted on track schematics gives easy access to more

Our new electronic permitting (ePermit) tool replaces safe system of work (SSoW) packs and allows the safe work leader (SWL) to plan, risk assess, deliver and hand back work more efficiently. Accessed through a web browser, the system issues electronic permits which gives the SWL

A look at epermits

detailed information than ever before. This electronic way of working ensures that plans are fit for site conditions on any given day and allows re-planning on site to happen if necessary. Planners have been invited to attend a two-day course to receive training on the new system and processes.

19network / May 2015

network news

york: Colleagues bid a fond farewell to phil Verster at the york Business Briefing. phil, who was route managing director on lne & eM route, is moving on to take on the role of managing director in the new alliance in scotland.

Have your say: safety Hour

glasgow: investment work over the May bank holiday saw the demolition of a road bridge near newton, a new footbridge installed near Motherwell and new track and junctions replaced near Carstairs.

Manchester: preparations have started on the ground to ready the land for a new stretch of railway linking Manchester’s piccadilly, oxford road and Victoria stations. a new viaduct will be built near ordsall with a new 500 metre stretch of railway.

farnworth: a major piece of work is underway at farnworth Tunnel near Bolton to ready the line for electrification. an enormous custom-made boring machine will be used to bore through the existing tunnel to create the larger space needed.

westwood: The recent mental wellbeing conference encouraged senior leaders to consider how they could safeguard the mental wellbeing of their teams. it set out a framework for leaders to develop local plans and create mental wellbeing champions in their area.

phil hufton, managing director of network operations, launched his new safety hour initiative at Milton Keynes Business Briefing in april

night shifts. It’s a worthwhile initiative, not sure how anyone will be able to deliver it and do their day job as well.” neil lucock , Manchester

“In principle OK, but our area is huge, covering LNW North & LNE. The logistics of one hour a week for each team / person is not going to be easy. Getting all teams to one location would cost a day in lost production.” gary Jones , llandudno Junction

“For me, this is an opportunity to benefit you, the people you work with and the people you interact with.” gordon harper, Milton Keynes

Connect delivers breaking news and company updates daily to our 34,000-strong team. It also

gives you the chance to have your say on topics that matter to you. In the past month, Connect announced the launch of Phil Hufton’s Safety Hour initiative. Here’s what people had to say:

“The principle behind the idea is great and it does make sense. However I am still trying to work out how to implement it. We can work it out, but will need help.” Matthew anton , rugby

“This is going to make life difficult for managers who own signalboxes with

find out how you can play your part in stopping suicides on the network by logging on to the industry’s new suicide prevention learning Tool at nspsglearningtool.co.uk

or searching ‘suicide prevention’ on Connect.

Three little words that could save a life.“Are you ok?”