RailAlert, go to work healthy, return home healthy

How to train brain based safety

Robert Oosterhof (a), André van Es (b)

(a) Managing director railAlert(b) Project manager and Secretary office certification and examination of rail safety staff railAlert

Article Information

Keywords:Safety risk culture Staff certification and examinationShared responsibilityBrain based safetyLearning from incidents

Corresponding author:

Robert OosterhofTel.: +31 30 287 4481e-mail: r.oosterhof@railalert.nlP.O. Box 26963500 GR UtrechtNetherlands

Abstract

RailAlert is an independent foundation which has been established in 2006. This year the Dutch railway network managers, the association of constructers, the association of consulting engineers and the safety personnel suppliers have transmitted the responsibility and organisation for certification, the examination of railway staff and the certification of systems and products to railAlert. Apart from the new responsibilities, railAlert received the necessary staff on a secondment base from the above mention organisations.

RailAlert’s mission is to reduce the number of rail infrastructure related accidents to zero, these include accidents related to working on, as well as, alongside the tracks. Focus lies on preventing workers from getting injured or involved in fatal rail related accidents. Such accidents may include receiving a high voltage shock from the traction power supply system or being hit by a passing train.

Apart from the certification of staff, systems and products, railAlert improves or reduces the existing regulations and proposes new ones where found to be necessary. RailAlert implements safety regulations from the level of the CEO’s until the core level of the craftsman outside.

Today, railAlert is responsible for the certification and examination of more than 60 different tasks in the field of railway safety, traction power supply systems and safety critical tasks. The latter includes for example employees such as turnout mechanics and signalling engineers. In the coming years the number of tasks to exanimate will increase due to tram and metro network managers joining railAlert.

In order to analyse whether RailAlert will be able to fulfil their objective of perfect safety they have developed a Safety Dashboard. Based on the data provided by the organizations involved the dashboard displays how the industry performs with regard to safety and whether the results are in line with the future prospects.

It appears we may have reached a turning point. Until recently, railAlert has invested in the regulations and certifications of tasks, professions and functions. However a new approach has been established, the new mind-set is ‘taking one’s own responsibility for safety’. The importance of safety should be self-evident. The workers themselves should be aware of working in a safe way.

Awareness is our new focus. Which leads us to the subtitle of this paper: ‘How to train brain based safety’.

1 Introduction

The Netherlands has one of the busiest rail networks in the world, requiring a lot of maintenance. However, there are few train-free periods to perform maintenance on the railroad tracks.

Partly due to the ever-present tension between working efficiently in the short periods available and working safely, the railway sector decided in 2004 to act jointly on improving the safety of track workers on and around the rail infrastructure. This led to the establishment of the railAlert foundation in 2006.

1.1 Objective

RailAlert is the platform for (labour) safety in the industry. RailAlert encourages collaboration and is a facilitator for the organization, design, and implementation of safety initiatives. RailAlert primarily focuses on creating regulations for two risks that are directly related to the rail industry: collision with a train / rail vehicle and electrocution by the traction power system.

Fig. 1 Main objectives.

The purpose of the regulations:

- Demonstrably achieve and/or maintain the highest level of safety with respect to collision and electrocution hazard;

- Implementing safety performance improvements when performing work in or near rail infrastructure.

The main objective of railAlert (in the Netherlands) is to ensure that no fatalities or lost workdays due to sickness occur. SMART1:

- Reducing the number of accidents in the industry by 10% per year;

- Continuous safety performance improvement by helping others improve;

1 Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely

- Reducing the number of near-collisions by at least 10% per year.

We try to achieve this with a high level of involvement and input from within the industry. We initiate and guide processes to improve work safety from the initial idea throughout implementation. All levels of the organization are involved, from manager to track worker. Ultimately, the industry itself remains responsible. All involved parties are and remain responsible for their share in work safety. railAlert will not assume sole responsibility.

1.2 Organization

The involvement and contribution of the sector has been clarified. RailAlert does not have its own staff. The director and five staff members for the daily management of the foundation are all in the service of one of the companies in the industry and have been supported for 4 years.

The actual structure, design, and implementation of safety initiatives are organized into six so-called offices. The offices are the core of railAlert and include:

- Office for regulations preventing collisions staff - train - Office for regulations preventing collisions staff -

tram/metro - Office for regulations preventing electrocution- Office for system certification- Office for product certification- Office for person certification

Part of the offices are representatives from various industry organizations such as engineering firms, contractors, safety personnel suppliers, and infrastructure managers. The aim is to divide the offices into 50% infrastructure managers and 50% contractors.

In the next paragraph we like to highlight the Office for person certification because this Office has the focus on the training and examination of people.

1.2.1 Office for person certification

The office for person certification is responsible for the preparation of certification schemes and exams. The certification schemes are created on the basis of jointly established industry skill requirements. For a number of tasks, medical and psychological requirements are also defined.

Currently, more than 60 tasks have been certified. These can be divided into safety tasks and critical railway safety tasks.

Safety tasks

The safety tasks are tasks for people who are responsible at different hierarchical levels for the safety of workers in or around the rail infrastructure. This includes everyone, from the Health and Safety Coordinator to the employee who warns rail workers about approaching trains.

Critical railway safety tasksThe critical railway safety tasks focus on functions

where improper work performance may lead to serious consequences for train traffic. Think of turnout mechanics and signalling engineers.

1.2.2 The Exam and CertificationBureau

The Exam and Certification Bureau, a separate organization (appointed by railAlert), conducts examinations and monitors the validity periods. The Exam and Certification Bureau works for approximately 400 companies, and examines approximately 3,000 candidates every year.

The Exam and Certification Bureau manages and organizes exams that are verified by independent commissions. An objective assessment is therefore guaranteed. The Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works, and Water Management (part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment) recognizes Exam and Certification Bureau as an independent testing agency.

2 Measuring the results: the safety dashboard

Have the measures so far led to an improvement of the safety impact? The answer is ‘yes’. Since 2006, no fatalities have occurred during work on the railroad. Absenteeism due to (minor) injuries has also seen a decrease in recent years.

Fig. 2 Quarterly results incidents.

To monitor and analyse this we developed a web based safety dashboard which is available online since end 2014. Based on the data provided by the organizations and concessionaires involved, the dashboard displays how the industry performs with regard to safety and whether the results are in line with the agreements. As a result, affiliated organizations may make their own analysis. For example, it is possible to compare the results of their own company with fellow

companies in the industry. The success of the safety dashboard lies in the fact that companies are open to vulnerability by making all data on incidents and near misses available.

This transparency is necessary in order to learn from each other, as well as for companies to take the next step towards improved safety.

3 The next stepsMid-2014, railAlert organized a conference for the

CEO’s and directors of all member organizations in the rail industry. The theme: “Personal responsibility for safety”.

This theme was based om the outcome of our analyses. It turned out that more than two fifth of the ‘near misses’ where due to deliberately avoided procedures.

Fig. 3 Reasons near misses.

An important conclusion of this conference was that adding more regulations would make no significant contribution towards safety. The aim is to decrease the number of regulations and simplify them where possible.

The best way to prevent further accidents is by positively influencing attitude and behaviour. The main question was ‘how’?

The first action we took was to shift the emphasis from periodic re-examinations to additional training and practical assessment. Particularly during the latter, much more attention can be paid to attitudes and behavior.

The next step were two major programs:- Digital safety Passport (already started in 2014)- Serious gaming

4 Digital Safety PassportDuring the 2nd UIC World Congress on Rail Training in

2013, Jos Gabriëls of Railinfra Training Centre provided lectures and training on the then emerging Digital Safety Passport [1]. Two years later, more than 40,000 safety passports were issued. The management thereof has been handed over to railAlert.

If you look at the Digital Safety Passport program at a glance, the first thing you notice is a cash card with a photo of the holder and a QR code.

Fig. 4 The authors Digital Safety Passport.

You need Digital Safety Passport for working in or nearby the train tracks or construction sites of ProRail (the Dutch train network infrastructure manager). In the coming years it is likely that the Digital Safety Passport will be also mandatory for work at metro lines.

But the program is much more than just a ‘cash card with a photo’. It is the philosophy behind it that matters.

First of all we defined nine Life Saving Rules. These rules have been determined (in collaboration with representatives from the railway industry) to be very important in the rail safety field. The most important (tenth) rule is actively address each other on safe and unsafe behaviour. Safety Coaches monitor compliance with the Life Saving Rules and inform workers aware of their behaviour. This may involve coaching undesirable behaviour as well as complimenting exemplary behaviour.

The nine Life Saving Rules are available in English, French, German, Turkish, Slovak, Hungarian, Portuguese and Polish. The reason; railAlert is increasingly faced with internationalization. Not only do foreign companies operate in the Netherlands, Dutch companies are also increasingly working abroad.

To obtain the Digital Safety Passport, candidates must take two steps. The first step is the ‘Access to the track’ e-learning program to work on or around the railway under the management of ProRail. This online training consists of nine themes. Every theme includes a short film, facts, and practice questions. Candidates may take the training at any time; it is publicly accessible via the railAlert website. Before taking the test, a password is provided. The employer is responsible for ensuring that its employees use ‘Access to the track’ properly. The online training ‘Access to the track’ is available in English [2], French [3], German [4], Turkish [5] and Polish [6].

Fig. 5 Screenschot ‘Access to the track’ e-learning program.

The second step is a group session based safety training. The training focusses on the safety awareness of people working in the railway sector. In this training, dilemmas that arise involving the Life Saving Rules are discussed. The training focuses on the dialogue between each other regarding safety. It is less about the rules themselves.

Fig. 6 Group session about dilemmas.

The less visible part of the Digital Safety Passport is the ICT component. Safety employees and Safety Coaches are able to ‘read’ someone’s passport with a special App on their smartphone. The QR code connects the smartphone with associated database and links with human resource systems. It ensures that there is always an up-to-date safety passport with current authorization.

5 Life Savers Game Another way to let people experience what the impact

of attitude and behaviour may have on safety is experience it (in a safe way!). In order to do this, we use the method of ´Serious Gaming´. ProRail has taken the initiative to develop the ´Lifesavers Game´ with the aim to create an industry-wide game related to safety (under the management of railAlert).

The game was developed with the aim to encourage a positive and contemporary way to stimulate attitudes and behaviour and to provide insight into the chain when it comes to influencing the occurrence of a potential accident. To do this, the game makes use of accidents that have actually taken place and the choices that could have been made at the time. The accidents have been used as inspiration for creating dramatized scenarios that can then be played out. By handing out so-called ‘Life Savers’ in the chain, the course of a scenario can be influenced. To encourage players to further think about safety, the ‘Life Savers’ can be used to score points. The website shows how good a player is compared to his/her colleagues.

Fig. 7 Screenschot ‘Lifesaversgame’

The game was launched on December 16, 2014 by the President/Director of ProRail. By means of cascading

from the top of the company, the intention is to involve everyone in this game. It is not just about playing the game. The game presents dilemmas on the basis of which choices have to be made. These dilemmas may act as input to the conversations that take place within the department, expertise teams, or with industry peers. The emphasis is on the positive discussion regarding safety and the willingness to present oneself in a transparent way. We also want to widely distribute our message. The game will be brought to the attention of industry parties. The goal is to have 20,000 registered participants by mid-2015.

Currently, there are four available scenarios. New scenarios will be released periodically. The industry is committed to actively participate in this by providing its own real-life accidents, which will be converted into game scenarios.

6 ConclusionIn conclusion. Achieving progression in the level of

safety for rail maintenance workers:- is the responsibility of all rail industry parties;- means sharing all information about near misses,

incidents and accidents;- is best organized by an independent organization

trusted and respected by all parties;- is not only certification of craftsmanship, products and

procedures;- is a mind-set;- is sharing success.

With this paper, we want to inspire our colleagues worldwide and share our motto: “People who go to work healthy should come back healthy”.

References[1] 2013 Digital Saftey Passport - Improving saftey awareness, Jos Gabriëls, filename: 39_Gabriels_Digital_saftey_Passport.pdf.[2] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/en/[3] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/fr/[4] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/de/[5] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/tr/[6] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/pl/

Fig. 6 Group session about dilemmas.

The less visible part of the Digital Safety Passport is the ICT component. Safety employees and Safety Coaches are able to ‘read’ someone’s passport with a special App on their smartphone. The QR code connects the smartphone with associated database and links with human resource systems. It ensures that there is always an up-to-date safety passport with current authorization.

5 Life Savers Game Another way to let people experience what the impact

of attitude and behaviour may have on safety is experience it (in a safe way!). In order to do this, we use the method of ´Serious Gaming´. ProRail has taken the initiative to develop the ´Lifesavers Game´ with the aim to create an industry-wide game related to safety (under the management of railAlert).

The game was developed with the aim to encourage a positive and contemporary way to stimulate attitudes and behaviour and to provide insight into the chain when it comes to influencing the occurrence of a potential accident. To do this, the game makes use of accidents that have actually taken place and the choices that could have been made at the time. The accidents have been used as inspiration for creating dramatized scenarios that can then be played out. By handing out so-called ‘Life Savers’ in the chain, the course of a scenario can be influenced. To encourage players to further think about safety, the ‘Life Savers’ can be used to score points. The website shows how good a player is compared to his/her colleagues.

Fig. 7 Screenschot ‘Lifesaversgame’

The game was launched on December 16, 2014 by the President/Director of ProRail. By means of cascading

from the top of the company, the intention is to involve everyone in this game. It is not just about playing the game. The game presents dilemmas on the basis of which choices have to be made. These dilemmas may act as input to the conversations that take place within the department, expertise teams, or with industry peers. The emphasis is on the positive discussion regarding safety and the willingness to present oneself in a transparent way. We also want to widely distribute our message. The game will be brought to the attention of industry parties. The goal is to have 20,000 registered participants by mid-2015.

Currently, there are four available scenarios. New scenarios will be released periodically. The industry is committed to actively participate in this by providing its own real-life accidents, which will be converted into game scenarios.

6 ConclusionIn conclusion. Achieving progression in the level of

safety for rail maintenance workers:- is the responsibility of all rail industry parties;- means sharing all information about near misses,

incidents and accidents;- is best organized by an independent organization

trusted and respected by all parties;- is not only certification of craftsmanship, products and

procedures;- is a mind-set;- is sharing success.

With this paper, we want to inspire our colleagues worldwide and share our motto: “People who go to work healthy should come back healthy”.

References[1] 2013 Digital Saftey Passport - Improving saftey awareness, Jos Gabriëls, filename: 39_Gabriels_Digital_saftey_Passport.pdf.[2] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/en/[3] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/fr/[4] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/de/[5] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/tr/[6] http://www.toegangtothetspoor.nl/pl/