Welcome back to a new season of the RSSB Podcast. In this episode, we’re joined by RSSB Chief Executive Mark Phillips. Mark takes us through our five-year Strategic Business Plan covering 2024–2029, pulling out some of the key priorities along the way. He’s particularly excited to see how rail can leverage some of the technological and digital advancements taking place. Listen now to learn more about what we’re hoping to deliver to industry in the next few years.

Related information

Strategic Business Plan 2024-2029: https://www.rssb.co.uk/about-rssb/who-we-are/strategic-business-plan-2024-29

Rail has been the most environmentally-friendly form of long distance transport for many years, and now needs to reduce its carbon emissions even further. George Davies, director of sustainability at RSSB, and Martin Watt, counsel at global law firm Dentons, discuss the challenges and opportunities of net zero carbon for rail.

The significant trends in safety risk from 2022-2023, and what's being done to keep our railway one of the safest in the world.

01:19  About Robert Sigrist
01:55  The work of the RSSB Risk and Safety Intelligence Team
02:55  The significant safety findings for 2022-2023
04:03  Changes in public behaviour, trespass and sitting on the platform edge
05:09  The trend in signals passed at danger
06:16  Issues around asset integrity, the whole system risk model
07:20  Some safety statistics, summary and close

Related information:
The Annual Health and Safety Report: https://www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-health/risk-and-safety-intelligence/annual-health-and-safety-report 

Are you getting the best value from your assets? Could your asset management approach be improved? In this episode we look at ISO 55001 as a possible framework for better asset management.

00:53  Asset management in today’s economic context

01:59  What to include in an asset management approach

02:15  Which framework to use for asset management

03:23  What’s in ISO 55001

04:25  The what to do, not how to do it

04:48  Understanding the context of your own organisation

05:40  Why a rail organisation would want to adopt ISO 55001

06:40  Selecting the standards that work for your organisation

07:54  Allocating and prioritising the right resources to your plan

09:03  Finding the right (external) resources to implement your plan

10:22  Is this the right thing for your organisation? Do you have the data to answer the question?

11:50  Some examples of the ROI from implementing ISO 55001

12:50  Use ISO 55001 as a tool; it’s not the answer

13:30  Summary and close

You may be interested in

Getting started with ISO 55001 https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/Asset-Management/Getting-started-with-ISO-55001/ 

Introducing ISO 55001 Maximizing the value of your assets– PDF download (1.2 MB) https://www.bsigroup.com/LocalFiles/en-GB/iso-55001/resources/ISO-55001-Client-Guide.pdf 

ISO 55001 supports UN Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13. https://www.iso.org/sdgs.html 

As RSSB celebrates its 20th year, this episode looks at the work that it has done to  help improve safety at level crossing, one of the biggest sources of risk for the railway.

 00:57 About Michael Woods

02:00 The Ufton level crossing accident described

03:32 How Michael got RSSB involved

04:56 RSSB directors brief ministers and help secure RSSB’s future independence

05:54 Looking at new technologies to improve level crossing safety

08:37 Reviewing the ideas sent on for safety improvements

11:04 Proposals for rail vehicle and track design improvements

12:29 Improvements in level crossing safety since Ufton

13:30 Close

You may be interested in:

Level Crossings – RSSB web page
 https://www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-health/leading-health-and-safety-on-britains-railway/level-crossings 

Network Rail strategy: Enhancing Level Crossing Safety 2019 – 2029 (PDF download) https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Enhancing-Level-Crossing-Safety-2019-2029.pdf 

Level crossings – Network Rail web page
 https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/level-crossings/ 

Finding the right people to fill vacant roles can be difficult. Steve Womack of Amey Infrastructure Wales talks about how he has found workers with transferable skills. He's also contributing social value to his local area by employing ex-offenders. 
Hear about lessons from a steep learning curve and the benefits to be found.

01:41 About Steve Womack

02:31 Getting involved with the Pathway Programme

04:00 Finding the right candidates for the right roles

06:00 The response of staff to working with ex-offenders

07:39 Gareth’s involvement and experience with the programme

08:51 Gareth’s reception at Amey Infrastructure Wales

09:35 Steve talks about the results and the learning from the programme

10:35 Dealing with the transition from prison to release and employment

13:10 What Gareth has learned and gained from the programme

14:50 Steve recommends getting involved in the programme

16:10 About other schemes around the country

16:28 Steve’s offer to talk about his experience with the scheme

18:05 Gareth explains the challenges for programme participants

20:36 Learnings for participants and organisers within the programme

22:25 Using Gareth as a mentor for new participants

25:05 Gareth sums up his experience of the programme

If you'd like to talk to Steve Womack about his experience of the Pathway Programme, please use LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-womack-7471b532/

Transport for Wales Helping Rehabilitate People  https://news.tfw.wales/news/transport-for-wales-helping-rehabilitate-people

GOV.UK Guidance on employing prisoners and ex-offenders https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unlock-opportunity-employer-information-pack-and-case-studies 

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch does what it says on the tin. It looks at both accidents and incidents to find their underlying causes. No blame is laid, but recommendations for mitigations are made; some of which may be around organisational culture.

Here, two of RAIB’s accident investigators talk about a company’s safety culture, learning opportunities, and how the two work together to deliver an ever safer railway.

00:05 Introduction

01:37 About Tabitha

01:57 About Mark

02:38 Tabitha’s views on the connection between safety culture and learning

05:17 Mark talks about what impact RAIB recommendations might have on company culture

06:55 Tabitha’s adds more on recommendations that address safety culture

08:41 Mark talks about the language in RAIB reports and how it supports a just culture

10:53 Mark talks about difficulties in establishing underlying factors

11:23 Tabitha on RAIB’s guidance for investigating underlying organisational factors

13:48 Mark talks about RAIB’s products that support corporate memory

15:33 Summary and close

Related links

Rail Accident Investigation Branch web page https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/rail-accident-investigation-branch

How to notify RAIB of an accident https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notifying-us-of-an-accident 

The Railways (Accident Investigation and Reporting) Regulations 2005 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1992/contents/made?view=plain 

Accident Investigation and Learning RSSB web page https://www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-health/learning-from-experience/accident-investigation-and-learning 

RSSB Accident Investigation Training https://www.rssb.co.uk/services-and-resources/training/accident-investigation-training 

This is the first in a series on specific health conditions. In this episode, recorded in Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, an RSSB employee talks with one of our health and wellbeing specialists about his experience of diagnosis, and the support received during treatment. 

00:43 About Deb Archibald

01:04 About Tavid Dobson and discovering his cancer

02:05 Tavid talks about his treatment options

02:30 Making sense and making decisions

03:34 The impact and support at work

04:31 The support mechanisms that worked for Tavid

05:37 How to respond and support

07:14 On men, talking about having cancer

08:27 Deb closes with talking to colleagues and where to find more information

You may also be interested in:

Prostate Cancer UK
NHS UK prostate cancer
Prostate cancer information - Cancer Research UK
Macmillan Cancer Support - Prostate cancer
Macmillan Prostate Cancer Forum

Colds, flu, and other respiratory illnesses always increase over the winter period. That list now includes Covid-19, which is still with us. So, how can we best protect ourselves from it and the others in the coming weeks and months? Claire Shooter, our Public Health Manager, explains what we can expect and do to stay as healthy as possible.

00.44 Claire explains when and why there are peaks in respiratory illnesses.

01.57 Why we know less about the current Covid situation.

02.54 What a rise in infections might mean for rail.

03.30 About Long Covid, its symptoms and how to manage it.

04.58 What we know about Long Covid.

07.00 If you think you may be suffering from Long Covid…

08.30 How RSSB can help you deal with Covid and any other public health issues.

08.51 Where to find accurate sources of information.

09.17 About the GB Rail Pandemic Playbook

10.56 Explaining the structure of the Pandemic Playbook.

11.57 Why you won’t need to read the whole document.

12.58 Summary and close

You may be interested in:

The GB Rail Pandemic Playbook  https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/key-industry-topics/health-and-wellbeing/public-health/pandemic-preparedness 

HSE Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Advice for workplaces https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/ 

Society for Occupational Health Return to work guidance for recovering workers https://www.som.org.uk/covid-19-return-work-guide-recovering-workers 

Acas: Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus 

Public Health Note: Covid-19 in Winter 2022-2023 https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/insights-and-news/blogs/public-health-note-covid-19-in-winter-2022 

Vaccinating to Protect Against Covid-19 https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/insights-and-news/blogs/vaccinating-to-protect-against-covid-19 

Covid-19 support https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/the-coronavirus-pandemic-how-we-can-help-you 

Workforce Wellbeing [during the pandemic] https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/the-coronavirus-pandemic-how-we-can-help-you/workforce-wellbeing 

Distinguishing reliable sources for public health https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/insights-and-news/blogs/distinguishing-reliable-sources-for-public-health 

Standards are talked about very often within rail, so this podcast provides an introductory overview. It describes what standards are, when rail started using standards, what the different types of standards abbreviations mean, how standards development is triggered, and where to find out more. 

00:37 Introducing Tom Lee, Director of Standards at RSSB

01:47 Brief definition of standards

03:17 When rail first started using standards, and why 

06:18 The organisations that produce standards relevant for rail, and the main standards abbreviations

11:31 The areas that standards cover

13:46 What causes a standard to be developed or revised, and the processes involved

20:20 How to find out more 

21:40 Close