Looking back at another successful Safety Stand Down Day
This past May, at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium, NRL’s Rail team were delighted to host our third annual Safety Stand Down Day, dedicated to underscoring the importance of maintaining exemplary health and safety standards throughout our rail contracting workforce, both on and off the railway. Our previous Safety Stand Down days were received incredibly well by our rail supervisors who attended, and we were delighted to grow the event’s presence this year by opening it up to contractors across our entire rail division with around 20 people in attendance.
This gathering served as another recommitment to our core safety values, and it was great to kick off with the news that we had again successfully passed our annual RISQS audit for the second consecutive year, with no issues flagged. This certification is a significant one to us, representing our commitment to compliance and excellence out on the railway, so it was great to share recognition for the team’s efforts.
However, the purpose of the Safety Stand Down Day extends far beyond sharing news about just one noteworthy accomplishment. With all of our team congregated in one place, the event serves as a fantastic way for us to remind everyone of the key health and safety aspects they need to remain aware of to help safeguard themselves and their colleagues as they go about their day-to-day trackside work.
Fatigue is a common concern in the railway sector. Due to the nature of the work our team undertakes, there’s often plenty of travel involved to support projects all over the country. This is a clear contributing factor to fatigue and failing to manage it properly can lead to potential safety issues, such as microsleeps.
NRL’s fatigue management system is credited as one of the best in the industry, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we treat the topic with complacency. So, to hone in on the topic and keep the day engaging and interactive for those in attendance, we had our contractors take part in a hazard awareness exercise. The contractors were split into teams and provided with poker chips which they could wager as they were tasked with identifying potential hazards and risks that could crop up on site, either gaining or losing chips based on the accuracy of their hazard spotting. The exercise was received really well by all of our participants, and more importantly we were able to reinforce important safety messages throughout which will help our teams continue to effectively recognise and avoid any potential future hazards.
As the day progressed we also shared insights, advice and reminders covering a variety of additional topics, from prioritising healthy mental wellbeing to remaining vigilant about the importance of drug and alcohol awareness. The day then culminated with a final quiz session to test each group’s knowledge of various topics, this time following a higher/lower format with some questions around percentages where contractors could wager their poker chips once again. This time there was a prize involved, with vouchers going to the winning team with the most chips remaining at the end of the quiz – a well-deserved reward for the top performers, but we were glad to see everyone having a brilliant time regardless while taking in some important safety lessons.
With the event concluded, I’m extremely proud to reflect on it and the value it provides to all involved. Our Rail team prides itself on a relentless commitment to ensuring the highest standards of health and safety, and it’s wonderful to see our contractors embrace that same mentality. These Safety Stand Down events have become an important touchpoint in our calendar, one that continues to help us maintain the strong safety record we’re proud to uphold.