Safety and Security
In the UK Rail division safety initiatives are driven both by industry targets set by the Railway Safety and Standards Board and the Injury Prevention Programme (IPP). Safety developments are led by the Railway Safety Committee. The Committee is chaired by the UK Rail division's Managing Director and attended by the Managing Directors of each train operating company. These companies have their own individual safety committees, which are supported by a cross-company Safety Improvement Group. The group is chaired by the UK Rail division's Head of Safety and attended by safety professionals from each operating company. It aims to improve safety performance and we are placing particular emphasis on reversing this trend.
| UK Rail Safety Performance for the period April 2006 - March 2007 compared to the previous 12 months | |
|---|---|
| All injuries per 1,000 employees per year | -15% |
| Lost time injuries (over 1 day) per 1,000 employees per year | -53% |
| Passenger injuries per million miles | -41% |
| SPADs per million miles | +57% |
This year we have achieved significant reductions in our lost time injury rate and passenger injury rate. There has however been an increase in the number of Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs). The increase has been in what the independent rail safety body describes as low risk SPADs - events that could not result in a collision or injury to passengers. However, any increase in SPADs is something we take very seriously and we are placing particular emphasis on reversing this trend.
Reducing Injuries to Our Employees
IPP is embedding a stronger safety culture across the division, and will help in further reducing the number of lost time injuries. To foster enhanced safety awareness amongst our employees, we plan to reinforce training in personal risk assessment, personal safety planning and safety contacts process development. We want to build a total safety culture within the organisation in which our employees automatically 'think safety' both at work and at home.
Rail Passenger Safety
The marked reduction in our passenger injury rate during the past 12 months is attributable to a range of initiatives across our operating companies. Examples of such measures include greater customer assistance at stations, improved defect reporting, improvements to station access, fitting of non-slip nosing on steps, installation of central handrails and improvements to the cleaning regime. These activities have been supported by awareness-raising campaigns comprising booklets, posters and signage targeted at both staff and customers.
Reducing the number of Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs) is a high priority for the Executive Safety Committee. We investigate each incident thoroughly in order to fully understand the causes. We then identify and implement follow-up actions to prevent further incidents. We aim to build on lessons learnt and will work hard to ensure a reduction in the number of SPADs over the coming year.