The Rail Safety and Standards Board Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

We're joined this month by Johnny Schute, our Chief Operating Officer. Johnny speaks with us about RSSB's unique whole-system perspective and what that means for the GB rail industry. 

He touches on the value it generates, the efficiencies it enables, and how it helps us strive for safety while also ensuring cost reduction, revenue growth, and improved service reliability and resilience for our members.

Find out more at https://www.rssb.co.uk/our-business-plan

This month we're joined by Marcus Dacre, RSSB’s Head of Risk and Safety Intelligence.

He talks with us about the importance of having good quality health and safety data in the rail industry. Marcus also covers the work that got us to this point, what the future holds, and the improvements we're making to SMIS to aid better data capture. He finishes up with a discussion of some standout stats from our 2024 Annual Health and Safety Report.

Find out more at rssb.co.uk/risk-and-safety-intelligence

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 

The railway is a very complex system. RSSB has developed tools for the industry to assess and target some hazards, but not all of them. Much of our risk analysis knowledge is based on the Safety Risk Model (SRM), now in version 9. One response to some identifiable hazards is to impose a blanket speed restriction. These can cover wide areas, and may themselves actually increase some types of risk.

Being able to identify specific parts of the network that may be susceptible to increased risk under certain environmental conditions can help. Building on the knowledge within the SRM, RSSB has, with Network Rail, started to develop the Whole System Risk Model (WSRM). Prompted by the Carmont incident, it’s a project that will take some time, but it has to start somewhere.

 03:00  About Marcus Dacre

03:30  Risk modelling work at RSSB

03:59  Modelling earthworks failures in the Precursor Indicator Model

05:12  RSSB’s involvement in responding to the RAIB recommendations to the Carmont incident

06:10  About the SRM

06:53  About Vincent Ganthy

07:34  Vincent’s focus on overall risk created by extreme rainfall events

09:00 Differences between the SRM and the WSRM

10:15 Establishing the level of network vulnerability

11:41  How the WSRM supports operational decision making

13:11  Current limitations and its potential for wider development

14:22  What we've found about the risk from speed restrictions

15:26  How to use the findings to respond to extreme rainfall events

16:11  Current testing and proving of the model

17:20  What’s next, the roadmap to extend the model

You may also be interested in:

How the Whole System Risk Model stops rail overcompensating for extreme weather events (RSSB web page 22 December 2022) https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/insights-and-news/blogs/how-the-whole-system-risk-model-stops-rail-overcompensating-for-extreme-weather-events 

Research project: Development of a system risk model for extreme rainfall events (T1269) https://www.rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue/CatalogueItem/T1269 

Safety Risk Model: Improving safety and reducing costs https://www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-health/risk-and-safety-intelligence/safety-risk-model/safety-risk-model-improving-safety-and-reducing-costs 

Structures and Earthworks Rules Changes (RSSB web page 6 March 2021) https://www.rssb.co.uk/standards/using-standards/structures-and-earthworks-rules-changes 

Case Study: Risk from soil cutting failures (RSSB web page 24 November 2022) https://www.rssb.co.uk/what-we-do/key-industry-topics/data-insights/earthworks-data-insights/case-study-risk-from-soil-cutting-failures 

Any practices described in this podcast shall not be assumed to be risk free. The Rail Safety and Standards Board and other participants in this recording shall not be held liable for actions taken by third parties that lead to loss or injury. Any practices described should, specifically, not be followed in the United States of America or Canada.

Achieving net zero carbon by 2050 will need more electrification of the GB railway. This episode looks at new and updated standards that don’t just make the requirements easier to understand. They also have the potential to deliver cost savings of well over £27m over five years. So, if you design OLE or AC-powered trains, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

01:24    About Mike Tatton

02:14    How standards are changed

03:43    Drivers of change for electrification standards

05:33    Who will be using these standards

06:42    What’s changed in GLRT1210, issue 3 

12:03    What’s new in RIS-1853-ENE

13:43    The new energy standards summarised

14:29    About Darren Fitzgerald

15:05    Key changes to the rolling stock RGS and the new RIS

16:21    New vehicle bonding requirements

17:25    Change to the cant rail warning line requirement

18:38    Main benefits from changes to these standards

19:45    Potential financial benefits from the changes

21:00    Summary and close

Resources mentioned in this episode:

December 2022 webinar recording
 https://rssb.videomarketingplatform.co/video/81831824/10:57/ac-current-collection-standards 

Register for the extended webinar at 11.00, 20 February 2023
 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ac-standards-rolling-stock-and-electrification-registration-477392863907?ReturnUrl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.rssb.co.uk%2fservices-and-resources%2fservices%2fevents-and-webinars 

GLRT1210, AC Energy Subsystem and Interfaces to Rolling Stock Subsystem, issue 3
 https://www.rssb.co.uk/standards-catalogue/CatalogueItem/glrt1210-iss-3 

RIS-1853-ENE, AC Energy Subsystem and Interfaces to Rolling Stock Subsystem, issue 1
 https://www.rssb.co.uk/standards-catalogue/CatalogueItem/ris-1853-ene-iss-1 

RGS-2111, Rolling Stock Subsystem and Interfaces to AC Energy Subsystem, issue 3
 https://www.rssb.co.uk/standards-catalogue/CatalogueItem/gmrt2111-iss-3 

RIS-2715-RST, Rolling Stock Subsystem and Interfaces to AC Energy Subsystem, issue 1
 https://www.rssb.co.uk/standards-catalogue/CatalogueItem/ris-2715-rst-iss-1